Career
He was the People"s Artist of Uzbekistan. Born on April 8, 1900, in Samarkand, to a family of music lovers. At the age of 11 Gavriel was already singing on weddings and concerts and public loved him.
From his childhood, he learned everything about Shashmakom (a style of music in Central Asia) and could play all local instruments.
In 1925-1926 they were joined by Levi Babahanov, who once was a court musician of Emir of Bukhara. In 1930-1932 Gavriel and Mihoel Mullokandovs together with other Bukharian activists organized a Bukharian Jewish theater in Samarkand.
In it, they were joined by such outstanding Bukharian Jews as Aron Saidov, Murduhai Bachaev and Bahor Kandhorov. The Jewish theater became very famous in Central Asia, Moscow, Leningrad and Baku.
In 1936 Gavriel Mullokandov was awarded the title of People"s Artist of Uzbekistan.
In the following years he was awarded with many other government awards. In 1940 Mullokandov was elected to the City Council of Samarkand. During the Second World War, Gavriel Mullokandov was among the artists of Bukharian Jewish Theater, who traveled around the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics performing in support of the war effort.
Mullokandov did a lot to promote Bukharian Jewish culture.
Songs that he sang, music that he played were forever saved in the archives of Uzbek and Tajik radio and television He celebrated Jewish holidays and his home was always full of people, who came to listen to his songs.
Gavriel Mullokandov also promoted peaceful and friendly relations between Uzbek and Tajik people and Bukharian Jews. He was very respected by non-Jewish population.
Mullokandov died on February 6, 1972.
In 1976, the Central Committee of Uzbekistan renamed Eastern Street in Samarkand, where he was born and lived most of his life, in his honor. In November 2000, a street in Tel Aviv suburb of Ramla was named after him.
