Flora Karimova

Flora Karimova
Background information
Birth name	Flora Karimova
Born	(1941-07-23) July 23, 1941 Baku, Azerbaijan
Genres	pop, classical, folk
Occupations	singer and actress
Years active	1970s–present

Flora Alakbar gizi Karimova (Azerbaijani: Flora Ələkbər qızı Kərimova; July 23, 1941, Baku) is an Azerbaijani popular music singer and People's Artist of Azerbaijan.^[1]

Life and career

Flora Karimova was born in Baku on July 23, 1941. According to herself, she was an unwanted child, and her mother had tried hard to put an end to the pregnancy, which was impossible to do in a conventional way due to anti-abortion laws in the Soviet Union at the time.^[2]

In 1965, Karimova was admitted to the Narimanov Medical Institute majoring in medical business and graduated in 1971. Then, from 1972 to 1977, she studied at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory specialising in vocal arts, where she strengthened her voice to four octaves. At the beginning of the 1960s Flora Kerimova began her singing career in Azerbaijan. She officially debutted in October 1960, on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall. Her repertoire includes lyrical compositions, but she has also performed and performs rhythmical compositions. Flora Karimova said she enjoyed working with the late composer Emin Sabitoglu, who composed a number of lyrical songs for her.^[3]

Besides the songs by Emin Sabitoglu, Flora Karimova's repertoire includes songs by Ramiz Mirishli, Tofig Guliyev, Aygun Samadzadeh, Kamal, Khanim Ismayilgizi and many other composers. In 1983, Flora Karimova became the soloist of Azerbaijan State Television. She has recorded and released more than twenty solo albums. In 1992, Flora Karimova was awarded the title of the People's Artist of Azerbaijan. Flora Karimova thus became the first singer in the history of independent Azerbaijan to be awarded this title.

She has been married twice and has a daughter and a son.

References