P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Halimsho Salimsho

See Alimshoev, Salimsho.

Hamdamov, Amon

Tajik composer Amon Sultonovich Hamdamov was born in Samar-

qand on May 5, 1918. From 1941 to 1945, he contributed to the war

effort. He joined the CPSU in 1947.

From 1935 to 1937, Hamdamov was an instrumentalist playing na-

tive instruments at the Lahuti Theater for the Dramatic Arts and then,

from 1938 to 1941, he was Concert Master of the orchestra of native in-

struments. Although he graduated from Moscow State Conservatory in

1958, he was the Director, Chief Director, and Artistic Leader of the

native Tajik instruments at the State Committee for Radio and Televi-

sion from 1946 to 1979. In addition, during 1962 and 1976, he was

Acting Chair of the Union of Composers of Tajikistan.

In 1980, Hamdamov became a teacher and Assistant Professor at the

Department of Instrumental Composition of the Institute of Arts of

Tajikistan. His early contributions include the following songs:

"Shoioni Hayot" ("Worthy of Life"), "Tojikiston" ("Tajikistan"), and

"Ruzi dar Kolkhoz" ("A Day in the Collective Farm"). In the 1960s, he

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