Career
Born in Tashkent, Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics on May 12, 1927 to the traditional Bukharian Jewish family of Berakh and Rachel Iskhakov. She later immigrated to the capital of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Stalinabad (Dushanbe) and made her career as a singer there. Barno Iskhakova was considered one of the greatest modern female singers in the history of Central Asia and Tajikistan.
She was very famous for her rendition of traditional Shashmaqom (a type Central Asian Music) songs in Tajik and Uzbek, and other songs in Russian, as well as her mother tongue of Bukhori (Judeo-Tajik Language).
She is considered a remarkable performer, in the same class as other Tajik stars as Seeno, Davlatmand Kholov, and Daler Nazarov. Known as the Queen of the Shashmaqom tradition of Tajik music, she sang side by side on the radio and television with other famous performers of the Tajik Soviet Era such as Neriyo Aminov, Rafael Tolmasov, Shoista Mullodzhanova, Hanifa Mavlianova, Rena Galibova, Ahmad Boboqulov, and others
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. 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 Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics and died on September 7, 2001 in Ramle, Israel.
Her voice and spirit remain alive among the hearts of millions of fans throughout Central Asia, Israel, and the United States as well as other countries around the world.