Barno Itzhakova

Barno Iskhakova (12 May 1927 - 7 September 2001; , , , ) was a Soviet and Bukharian Jewish musician from Tajikistan.

Early life Iskhakova was born in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR to the traditional Bukharian Jewish family of Berakh and Rachel Iskhakov.

Career From 1941 to 1943 she worked as a librarian at the Tashkent Secondary School No. 24, and between 1943 and 1945 as a singer for the choir of the Radio of the Uzbek SSR. She is the first woman to become a professional Shashmaqam singer. she sang side by side on the radio and television

Since 1980, Iskhakova worked also as a senior teacher of the Oriental Music Department of the Tajik State Institute of Arts in Dushanbe. When Soviet Tajik writer Sadriddin Ayni heard her sing, he called her "Levicha among women" for Levi (Levicha) Babakhanov was a famous Bukharian Jewish traditional singer who performed for the last Emir of Bukhara in the early 20th century. The Tajik folk singer and rubab player Jurabek Nabiev has said he was inspired to pursue a professional career after listening to Iskhakova, who was his teacher.

She took part in the recording of the entire series "Shashmaqam", which is stored in the National Music Archives of Tajikistan.

Later life She immigrated to Israel with her family in 1992 due to the Civil War in Tajikistan, and the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism following the collapse of the USSR. She died on September 7th, 2001, in Ramla, Israel.

She, along with her husband Isroel, are buried at the Har HaMenuchot Cemetery in Jerusalem.

Legacy In May 2017, the city of Petah Tikva named a street for her.