Rashid Behbudov

Rashid Behbudov was born on December 14, 1915, in Tiflis into the family of Shusha-born singer Majid Behbudov. In 1945, Behbudov was cast as the lead character Asgar in the film adaptation of Uzeyir Hajibeyov's musical comedy Arshin Mal Alan; the film became a sensational worldwide triumph seen by tens of millions across the Soviet Union, the Middle East, China, and Latin America.

Gifted with a uniquely silvery, sweet tenor timbre, Behbudov toured extensively across India, Iran, the Arab world, Europe, and Latin America, singing fluently in dozens of foreign languages. In 1966, he founded the Azerbaijan State Song Theatre, which now bears his name.