Music of Azerbaijan


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Music of Azerbaijan builds on folk traditions that reach back nearly 1,000 years.[1] For centuries Azerbaijani music has evolved under the badge of monody, producing rhythmically diverse melodies.[2] Azerbaijani music has a branchy mode system, where chromatisation of major and minor scales is of great importance.[2] As is the case also with Arabic and Turkish and even more evidently, much of the musical terminology of Azerbaijani cultures is of Persian origin.[3]

Contents

Mugam

The classical music of Azerbaijan is called mugam (more accurately spelled muğam), and draws on the music of the Iranian-Arab-Turkish maqam.[4] It is usually a suite with poetry and instrumental interludes. The sung poetry sometimes includes tahrir segments, which use a form of singing similar to yodelling. The poetry is typically about divine love and is most often linked to Sufi Islam.Mugam created in ancient Iran territory and developed in Azerbaijan republic and Iran Azerbaijan provinces since Safavid(The most branch of mugam which called by bayat(like bayat-e-kurd,bayate-shiraz, bayat-e-turk...)created by an Azerbaijani tradition(Bayat which have music talents)in different provinces of Iran like kurdisatn, shiraz, isfahan. The most of royal musicians in palaces of ancient Iran kings in provinces were Bayat and there is no relation between Persian and mugam because of different morality and life philosophy between Persians and ancient Iran traditions.

In 2011, Azerbaijan won the Eurovision song contest, despite geographically being in Asia. This caused much anger across the right-wing extremists. Especially in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. In contrast to the mugam traditions of Central Asian countries, Azeri mugam is more free-form and less rigid; it is often compared to the improvised field of jazz.[5] [6]

UNESCO proclaimed the Azerbaijani mugam tradition a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 7, 2003.

Musical instruments

Instruments used in traditional Azeri music include the stringed instruments tar (skin faced lute), the kamancha (skin faced spike fiddle), the oud, originally barbat, and the saz (long necked lute); the double-reed wind instrument balaban, the frame drum ghaval, the cylindrical double faced drum naghara (davul), and the goshe nagara (naqareh) (pair of small kettle drums). Other instruments include the garmon (small accordion), tutek (whistle flute), daf (frame drum) and nagara (drum) (barrel drum).

Ashiqs

Ashiqs are traveling bards who sing and play the saz, a form of lute. Their songs are semi-improvised around a common base.

Opera in Azerbaijan

Ballet in Azerbaijan

Scene from Ballet of "The Maiden Tower" by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli
Scene from Ballet of "Leyli and Majnun" by Gara Garayev
Scene from Ballet of "Love and Death" by Polad Bulbuloglu

Azeri Musicians

External videos
AZERI Music
Azeri classical music
Genre Meyxana
Azeri jazz: Vaqif Mustafa-Zadeh
Azerbaijan opera Koroglu by Uzeir Hacibeyov
Azeri symphonic rock Mugam
Concert of Iranian Azeris
Azerbaijani music 1990: Firangiz Rahimbekova
Azeri pop group Karvan, early 1990s.

The most famous contemporary Azeri musicians are perhaps jazz singer Aziza Mustafa Zadeh and her father, Vagif Mustafa Zadeh, who are quite popular internationally in jazz circles.

Mugam singers:

Popular music singers

Classic music singers

All time classics

Composers:

International Azerbaijani musicians and bands

Kamancheh players

Tar players

Balaban players

Oboe players

Saz players

References

Notes

  1. ^ David C. King. Azerbaijan, Marshall Cavendish, 2006, p. 94
  2. ^ a b Энциклопедический музыкальный словарь, 2-е изд., Москва, 1966 (Encyclopedical Music Dictionary (1966), 2nd ed., Moscow)
  3. ^ Nettl, Bruno (2006). "Iran xi. PERSIAN MUSIC". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. 13. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v13f5/v13f5005.html.  Excerpt: An important aspect of Persian music history is the influence of Persian music in South and West Asia. Much of the musical terminology of Arabic, Turkish, and (most of all) Azerbaijani cultures is of Persian origin.
  4. ^ during, J. (2001). "Azerbaijan". The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. ISBN 978-0-333-60800-5. 
  5. ^ EurasiaNet Civil Society - The Baku Jazz Festival: Reviving a Tradition in Azerbaijan
  6. ^ The Baku Jazz Festival: Reviving a Tradition in Azerbaijan | EurasiaNet.org

External links