Beibutov, Rashid Madzhid Ogly

Born Dec. 1 (14), 1915, in Tbilisi. Soviet Azerbaijani singer (lyric tenor). People’s Artist of the USSR (1959). Son of a khanende (folk singer).

Beibutov began his stage activity as a performer of Azerbaijani folk songs (Tbilisi, 1933). From 1933 to 1944 he was a soloist with the Yerevan Philharmonic Orchestra and from 1944 to 1956 with the Baku Philharmonic Orchestra. During the period 1957–59, Beibutov was the artistic director of the Azerbaijani State Concert Ensemble. He is the founder and director of the Azerbaijani State Song Society (1966). He is famous as a singer on the estrada (the variety stage), performing songs of various peoples of the world (including Russian, Iranian, Turkish, Arabic, and Indian). Beibutov appears periodically in the stage productions of the Akhundov Theater of Opera and Ballet; he has also performed the principal roles in the opera Sevil’ by Amirov and the musical comedy Arshin mal alan by Uz. Gadzhibekov. He played in the film version of Arshin mal alan (State Prize of the USSR, 1946). Beibutov has made several tours abroad. He was a deputy to the seventh and eighth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Beibutov has been awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.