From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Liza Umarova
Liza Umarova
Liza Umarova "Motherland" became a hit on the Caucasian pirated
Лиза Умарова records scene, although the singer herself often went un-
credited. It was even picked as the anthem of the in-
Birth name Liza Umarova
terregional peacemaking organization Echo of War, she
Born March 12, 1965 (1965-03-12) said.[citation needed]
Liza then continued to make recordings of the First
Origin Almaty, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic,
Soviet Union and Second Chechen Wars, with hit songs such as "Rise
Up, Russia!", "Grozny, Hero City", and "Our Time Has Not
Genres Music of Chechnya, Pop music, Torch song Yet Come". In particular, the single "Grozny, Hero City"
Occupations Singer, Actress has been described as an anthem of Chechnya.[3]
Liza’s music is pirated and sold throughout Chechnya
Instruments Voice
as soon as it is recorded, earning her nothing.[citation need-
ed] Furthermore, she notes that when a melody comes to
Liza Sulimovna Umarova (Chechen: Iумарийн ЙоI Лиза Лиза)
her, she sings it into her mobile telephone because she
(born March 12, 1965 in Almaty, Kazakhstan) is a
cannot read music and does not own a tape recorder.
Chechen singer and actress. She is regarded by many as
Nevertheless, Liza says she sings because, "Music has
the most popular contemporary Chechen singer today,
always affected me emotionally, has always calmed me
and her poignant music on Chechnya and the Chechen
and has given me hope. People came up to me after a con-
people has led many to call her the Chechen Edith Piaf.[1]
cert, when I performed in Chechnya, in Grozny, and said
that these songs heal. Although they are tragic, in the
Early life end there is always something positive - hope for a good
life." [4]
Liza spent her childhood in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Her par-
ents had been removed from their native village of Katyr-
Yurt, Chechnya in February 1944 as a result of the forced 2005 racially-motivated assault
deportations of most Chechens to Central Asia. In 1982
On September 6, 2005, Liza and her then-15 year-old son
her father decided to move the family back to Chechnya,
Murad were beaten in Moscow on their way to the metro
and they settled in Grozny that year.
by four drunken men, aged between 25 and 30. Umarova
and her son sustained numerous contusions in the attack
Career but initially decided against reporting the incident to the
police.[5]
Liza attended the Yaroslavl Drama Institute, where she
"You will not live in this country," one of the attack-
developed a solid reputation for her emotive singing, yet
ers told Umarova, she said in an interview with Gazeta
declined a musical career upon graduation to get mar-
newspaper. She said the attacker gave her "the word of
ried, and shortly afterwards became the mother of three
an officer." [6]
children. In 1994 the family moved to Moscow after their
Umarova is not a Chechen nationalist and said she
house was bombed during the First Chechen War. In
was ashamed for her country, Russia, over this kind of
Moscow she opened up a small business called ’Vayna-
bigotry and over the continuing brutal war. Umarova has
ham’, which sold Chechen and Ingush literature and au-
managed to appeal to both sides by staying clear of par-
dio recordings. During this time, Liza separated from her
tisan views.[citation needed] When she sings the line, "You
husband and struggled to raise their children by herself.
will be free, Chechnya," in "Motherland," she has in mind
In 1998 Liza made her first recording with the song
"free from war, from violence, from barbarism," rather
"Motherland", which set words about Chechnya to the
than a call for independence, she said.[2]
tune of "Liberta", a 1980s hit by Italian pop duo Al Bano
In an article published on April 4, 2006, The Moscow
and Romina Power. "I think it cost $50 [to make the
News reported that three of the attackers had been given
recording]," she said. "I was sewing, earning money to
guilty verdicts by a Moscow court. The sentences ranged
feed the children at that time. I sewed sets of linen swad-
from a one-year suspended sentence to three years at a
dling for newborn babies. And I had a lot of cloth, rolls of
prison settlement.[7] After the defendants contested the
cotton. I sold all those rolls at the market, on the cheap,
decision, the case was sent for retrial, but the Moscow Ci-
and made back the $50." [2]
ty Court upheld the previous verdict.[8]
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Liza Umarova
External links and sources [4] Correspondents Report - Art continues in troubled
Chechnya
• Liza Umarova Music Video [5] A Step At A Time: The Violence Continues
• New York Times Article on Liza Umarova [6] hrvc.net
• International Herald Tribune Article on Liza [7] http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/04/04/
Umarova chechenattackers.shtml
• Correspondents Report Interview with Liza Umarova [8] Court upholds verdict in attack on Chechen singer |
• Segment of The Moscow Times article of assault on Russia | RIA Novosti
Umarova Persondata
• Chechnya Free.ru Article on Liza Umarova
Name Umarova, Liza
• ex-Soviet Union Music Blogspot Article
• Interview with Umarova by Anna Politkovskaya (in Alternative names
Russian) Short description
Date of birth March 12, 1965
References Place of birth
[1] ex-Soviet Union Music: Liza Umarova Date of death
[2] ^ http://context.themoscowtimes.com/ Place of death
print.php?aid=138917
[3] The songs of Grozny, the sounds of war - The New
York Times
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liza_Umarova&oldid=448275644"
Categories:
• 1965 births
• Living people
• Chechen female singers
• Chechen pop singers
• Russian female singers
• Russian pop singers
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