Umar Dimayev
Musical artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Umar Dimayevich Dimayev[a] (1 October 1908 – 26 December 1972) was a Chechen accordionist and folk musician. His sons, Ali, Valid, and Said are also professional Chechen musicians.[1][2]
Biography
Dimayev was born on 1 October 1908 in Urus-Martan.[1] Accounts describe him as being raised in a musically inclined family and learning the accordion as a teenager.[1]
Early career
In the 1920s and 1930s, Dimayev performed for local broadcasts and theatre productions in Chechnya, and later worked with the Chechen-Ingush dramatic theatre in Grozny.[1] Sources also describe him as composing and arranging music for stage productions during this period.[1]
By the 1930s, he had become known within the Chechen-Ingush ASSR as a folk musician and soloist for regional radio ensembles.[1][2]
Second World War and deportation
During the Second World War, Dimayev performed for Soviet troops and in military hospitals, and composed patriotic works, according to later accounts of his career.[1]
In February 1944, the Deportation of the Chechens and Ingush resulted in Dimayev and his family being deported to Kazakhstan.[3] While in exile, he joined the Chechen-Ingush song and dance ensemble and performed on radio in Kazakhstan, including broadcasts from Almaty.[1]
Return and later years
After the restoration of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR and the return of deported communities, Dimayev returned to Chechnya in 1957 and was awarded the title Honoured Artist of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR, according to later biographical summaries.[1] From the 1960s until his death, he continued to perform on radio and television and made recordings of Chechen folk music and his own compositions.[1][2]
Dimayev died on 26 December 1972 after a prolonged illness.[1] A later overview described him as leaving dozens of accordion compositions and numerous recordings of folk music.[2]
Legacy
Dimayev has been described in secondary literature on Chechen culture as an influential accordionist and a prominent performer of Chechen folk music in the Soviet period.[2] In a feature on Chechen music and cultural life, The New York Times noted Dimayev among well-known Chechen musicians whose work remained important to audiences in and beyond Chechnya.[4]
Selected recordings
Recordings attributed to Dimayev have been published and circulated on modern platforms, including compilations on streaming and video services.[5]