AZ on Music Theory Print

Azerbaijani classical music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic era#

The professional classical music in Azerbaijan is associated with name of composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov.

Soviet era#

In 1920, Azerbaijani classical music had undergone a renaissance and Baku Academy of Music was founded to give classical musicians the same support as folk musicians. After World War II, Fikret Amirov introduced a new genre called symphonic mugam. Amirov’s symphonic mugams were based on classical folk pieces and were performed by many renowned symphony orchestras throughout the world, such as the Houston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski.

Azerbaijani folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Most songs recount stories of real-life events and Azerbaijani folklore, or have developed through song contests between troubadour poets. Corresponding to their origins, folk songs are usually played at weddings, funerals, and special festivals. Regional folk music generally accompanies folk dances, which vary significantly across regions. The regional mood also affects the subject of the folk songs, e.g. folk songs from the Caspian Sea are lively in general and express the customs of the region. Songs about betrayal have an air of defiance about them instead of sadness, whereas the further south traveled in Azerbaijan the more the melodies resemble a lament.

Azerbaijani hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The first Azerbaijani hip-hop song “Dünənki keçdi” (Yesterday is Past) was created in 1983 by Chingiz Mustafayev, who would later become Azerbaijan’s national hero for unrelated reasons. The pioneer of Azerbaijani rap often associated with name of Anar Nagilbaz in 1992, which also included elements of disco but the popularity of the rap genre came with the rise of Dayirman, which included primarily patriotic elements. In 2000s, despite mass emergence of independent rappers like Elşad Xose and Huseyn Derya and popularity of hip-hop shows like “Mən də varam” on Space TV, only a few Azerbaijani rap artists have achieved commercial success. During the late 2000s, rap group H.O.S.T. became primarily popular among hip hop fans. On 29 December 2011, the first Azerbaijani national musical, a hip-hop version of the classic love story Leyli and Majnun, has been performed in Baku. Despite the commercial dominance of hip-hop and Azerbaijani pop music during this period, rapper Miri Yusif found success with his reggae and soul fusion album “Karma”, peaked at number 1 in the Azerbaijani Albums Chart in 2010.

Azerbaijani jazz

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

20th century#

Jazz first appeared in Azerbaijan at the beginning of the 20th century. The Eastern Jazz Band, whose performances in Moscow were advertised in 1926, included Huseyngulu Sarabski as a soloist. In the 1930s, Niyazi and Tofig Guliyev created the first local jazz band. However, jazz in the Soviet Union faced prohibition and censorship from 1920 through 1953. By the 1950s, jazz musicians from many Soviet cities, looking for a safe harbour, gradually gathered in Baku. In the late 1960s, the Azerbaijani jazz music was boosted by such composers as Gara Garayev and Rauf Hajiyev. In 1969, the first jazz festival was held in Baku.

Azerbaijani pop music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1960s#

The early 1960s were probably the era when Azerbaijani pop music was most dependent on the group format, with pop acts, like rock bands, playing guitars and drums, with the occasional addition of keyboards or orchestration. Classical pop-folk music enjoyed mainstream popularity during this era, with artists such as Anatollu Ganiyev, Muslim Magomayev and Shahlar Guliyev.

1970s#

The Azerbaijani pop music experienced during the late 1970s a golden age of productivity characterized by the rise of a new generation of musicians. The classical pop artists such as Rashid Behbudov, Mirza Babayev, Flora Karimova, Shovkat Alakbarova, Ogtay Aghayev, and Gulagha Mammadov experienced their greatest success at the start of the decade and maintained their popularity throughout the entire music history.

Azerbaijani rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Soviet Era#

Rock was greatly restricted for most of the period Azerbaijan was under Soviet rule, being viewed by the CPSU as a Western anti-socialist influence. Among the most recognized groups of the Soviet era were Coldünya, Yuxu, Eksulap and Khurramids.

1960s–1970s#

1960s was the period when Azerbaijani rock was formed. Leading bands of this period were namely Eskulap (1966), Khurramids (1969), Express-118, Pazavang and Uvet which were mainly playing soft rock and blues. Khurramids performed live in festival dedicated to 51st establishment of Azerbaijan State University with a cover version of “I can’t get no” by Rolling Stones in 1970. Following first decade of Azerbaijani rock, 70s gave rise to jazz rock with ethnic elements. Cürbəcür was founded by Jahangir Garayev, elder brother of Abulfas Garayev in 1970. Other notable bands were Məşəl (Torch), Brevis (1971) and Üç Alov (Three Flames). However, main driving force were considered Experiment-OK (1967) and Ashiqlar (1973). Jazz fusion era ended with “ASU Physics faculty band” (1972) according to Hikmat Hajizadeh (former ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia) who played solo guitars back then. Meanwhile, in Sumgayit, Miraj and Rovesnik bands were active.

Azonto

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Azonto is a communicative dance believed to originate from “Apaa” which literally means to work. Apaa was used to show the profession of an individual. The azonto dance has since grown further to relay coded messages. The dance later got into the minds of most Ghanaians. In 2013, most Ghanaian music videos were full of Azonto dance and later spread to most African countries and other parts of the world. Popular music researcher Jesse Weaver Shipley claims that like hiplife, the popularity of Azonto is a direct result of its interactions in diaspora. Azonto