Abdulbagi Zulalov
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Abdulbagi Zulalov (1841-1927) (also widely known by his pseudonym Bülbül-jan) is a well-known singer of folk music and mugam music (an original improvisational classical folk music popular in Azerbaijan). He became especially famous not only for his beautiful voice, but also for his performance of Azeri mugams in other regional languages - in Georgian, Armenian, Lezgian and Persian.
Abdulbagi was born in 1841 in Shusha. In his youth he travelled a lot throughout Caucasus and Iran. In one of his visits in Iran the Iranian shah liked his performance so much that he decided to award Abdulbagi the "Shir-i Khurshid" order, the highest Iranian order at the time (other Shushavians who shortly before and after received such award were singer Haji Husi and tar player Sadikhjan).
In 1875 Abdulbagi moved to Tbilisi, the regional cultural capital at the time. He gave concerts together with his fellow-countryman, a great tar player Sadikhjan. Due to his wonderful voice, attractive appearance and high artistic performance, he quickly became famous throughout Georgia. Having learned Georgian language and began to perform Azeri mugams in Georgian, bringing the Georgian listeners into rapture. Beginning from this time, people started to call him 'Bulbul-jan', which means '[our] dear nightingale'.
Abdulbagi sang not only in Azeri and Georgian, but also in Armenian, Persian and Lezgian languages, for what he was loved among th representatives of these peoples.
Abdulbagi significantly influenced many prominent Azeri mugam and folk singers after him. Such masters of mugham as great Jabbar Karyaghdy, Musa Shushinsky, Meshedi Mamed Farzaliyev, Alesker of Sheki, Seyid Shushinsky and many others considered him their artistic master. The Abdulbagi Zulalov's family is also known in Azerbaijan, as the family of musical talents. Abdulbagi's daughter, granddaughter and nephews: respectively Aziza khanim, Sona khanim, Ali and Gambar Zulalovs continued his traditions of mugam arts.
