Holding the "Memorial of Master Davlatmand Kholov" Ceremony by Mana Naqsh at ECO Cultural Institute
The "Memorial of Master Davlatmand Kholov" ceremony was held by Mana Naqsh Institute along with the "Traditional Music Night of Tajikistan" ceremony on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at ECO Cultural Institute. The event was attended by officials, famous artists, and activists in the fields of culture and arts from Tajikistan and Iran.
![]( "Holding the")
The "Memorial of Master Davlatmand Kholov" ceremony occurred on Thursday, February 22, 2024. This event was hosted by the Mana Naqsh Art & Culture Institute to honour the memory of Master Davlatmand Kholov, the famous musician, singer, instrumentalist, and composer from Tajikistan. The programme was held along with the "Night of Traditional Music of Tajikistan" event at the ECO Cultural Institute (ECI). Among the attendees were Davlat Safarzoda, Deputy Minister of Culture of Tajikistan, Nizomiddin Zohidi, Ambassador of Tajikistan in Tehran, officials and ambassadors from various countries in Tehran, as well as directors, activists, and notable artists from Tajikistan and Iran. This distinguished group included Professor Jalaleddin Kazzazi, Master Shahram Nazeri, and Master Hossein Alizadeh.
This memorial ceremony started with a speech by Shahab Nikman, the managing director of Mana Naqsh. He expressed regret for the death of Master Kholov and stated that the ceremony was planned to commemorate this outstanding artist with his ensemble, but fate did not provide the opportunity, leading to the "memorial" ceremony being held today. Nikman praised the unique position of Master Kholov and spoke about Mana Naqsh's collaboration with him, particularly in the "Language of Love" international project, recording music albums, and holding concerts in different countries. He mentioned the challenges of forming collaborations between Iranian and Tajik artists during tense political relations and acknowledged Dr. Atousa Momeni, Dr. Ali Ashraf Mojtahed Shabestari, Dr. Seyed Javad Rasooli, and artist Morteza Goodarzi for their role in advancing these collaborations, especially the collaboration of Master Shahram Nazeri with Master Davlatmand Kholov.
Then, Misagh Mehrpour, an Oud player, and Tohid Vahid, a Kamantcheh player, Iranian artists and the members of the Mana Ensemble, who collaborated with Master Kholov in performing concerts and producing albums, performed music in memory of Master Kholov, and they also played a part of his famous song "Devonah Shaw".
Afterward, a short film including the speeches of Shahram Nazeri, Hossein Alizadeh, Mohammadreza Darvishi, and Bijan Kamkar about this Tajik artist, as well as the last unpublished sounds and videos of Master Kholov, from rehearsals, harmonies, and studio recordings of the "Language of Love" project with Master Shahram Nazeri, was presented. It is worth mentioning that the international Language of Love project, authored by Shahab Nikman, in collaboration with the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Oxford and the Pembroke Shahnameh Centre for Persian Studies of the University of Cambridge officially launched in London at 2019, performing a joint concert by Master Shahram Nazeri and Master Davlatmand Kholov together with the Mana Ensemble.
At the end of the event, Master Shahram Nazeri and Master Hossein Alizadeh unveiled the memorial plaque prepared for Master Davlatmand Kholov. The plaque was signed by Shahram Nazeri, Hossein Alizadeh, and Mohammadreza Darvishi. Both Master Nazeri and Master Alizadeh expressed their regret for the death of Master Kholov and gave speeches about the unique position of this Tajik artist. Shahram Nazeri said, "When I was singing along with Master Davlatmand, his voice was making me go beyond myself."
