“Azerbaijani Mugham” multimedia collection and “World of Mugham” publication presented at Heydar Aliyev Foundation

“Azerbaijani Mugham” multimedia collection and “World of Mugham” publication were presented at Heydar Aliyev Foundation on November 11.

“Singers of Garabagh” music album, which included performance by 24 virtuoso mugham singers, as part of the “Azerbaijani Mughams” Project implemented by Heydar Aliyev Foundation in 2005 was the first and successful work. “Mugham Encyclopedia” developed by the Foundation in 2008 is assessed as a valuable publication towards protection and development of our ancient heritage of music. Construction of International Mugham Center, holding the republican mugham contests in 2005-2007, International Mugham Festival in 2009 that involved 11 countries due to the Foundation’s support aim developing the ancient performing traditions, discovering young talents and propagating the art of mugham in the world.

Next successful projects by Heydar Aliyev Foundation towards protection and popularization of mugham are “Azerbaijani Mugham” interactive audiovisual multimedia collection and “World of Mugham” publication.

Presented as an educational supply in frame of the “Azerbaijani Mughams” Project by the Foundation, “Azerbaijani Mugham” multimedia collection implies detailed information about kinds, genres, origin, structure, character and features of mugham, which is considered a masterpiece of Azerbaijan musical heritage. The collection has Azeri and English versions and is supplied with 8 CDs.

The first CD that is designed as an educational supply contains 6 sections – “Mughams”, “Mugham Notes”, “Symphonic Mughams”, “National Musical Instruments”, “Personalities” and “Dictionary”. “Mughams” section features mugham destgahs, small mughams, zerb mughams. “Mugham Notes” section presents notes of 7 major mughams of Azerbaijan. “Symphonic Mughams” section provides general information on symphonic mughams of Azerbaijan, as well symphonic mughams by Fikret Emirov and Niyazi. Interactive contents of our ancient music instruments and detailed information on every instrument is given in “National Musical Instruments” section. “Personalities” section talks of life and activity of outstanding mugham masters of Azerbaijan, persons carrying out studies in this field, giving support to development of mugham, scholars, figures of music. “Dictionary” section provides explanation of nearly 300 words on the art of mugham.     

The second and third CDs are titled “Mugham Destgahs”. The second CD contains “Rast”, “Shur”, “Chahargah” mughams, while the third one covers “Segah”, “Shushter”, “Bayaty-Shiraz” and “Humayun”. All mughams can be played. The CDs include shobe and gushe of every mugham.

 The fourth CD embraces small mughams “Gatar”, “Rehab”, “Shahnaz” and “Bayaty-kurd”.

 “Mensuriyye”, “Heyraty”, “Simayi-shems”, “Heydari”, “Ovshary”, “Mani”, “Arazbary” zerb mughams, “Garabagh” shikestesi and “Kesme” shikeste are presented in the fifth CD.

The sixth and seventh CDs include performance by famous mugham singers of Azerbaijan. The sixth CD contains performance by Jabbar Garyaghdyoghlu, Kechechioghlu Mahammad, Seyid Shushinski, Bulbul, Zulfi Adygozalov, Khan Shushinski, Yaver Kelenterli, Hagigat Rzayeva, Mutallim Mutallimov, Hajybaba Huseynov, Sara Gedimova, and the seventh CD presents performance by Abulfat Aliyev, Fatma Mehraliyeva, Gulu Asgerov, Yagub Mammadov, Alibaba Mammadov, Rubaba Muradova, Islam Rzayev, Gedir Rustamov, Arif Babayev and Alim Gasymov.

The eighth CD features symphonic mughams “Gulustan-Bayaty-Shiraz”, “Kurd ovshary”, “Shur” by Fikret Emirov and “Rast” by Niyazi performed by the Uzeyir Hajibeyli State Symphonic Orchestra.

“World of Mugham” collection is dedicated to the International Mugham Festival, which was held in Baku this March on the initiative of Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP. The publication includes book in Azeri, Russian, English and 33 DVDs, which contain Azerbaijani mugham operas, symphonic mughams, classic Azerbaijani mughams, performances by outstanding foreign musicians and ethnic jazz samples.

The publication opens with words by President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva. Enriched with interesting photographs the publication includes speeches by President Ilham Aliyev and Director General of UNESCO at the time Koichiro Matsuura, speech Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva delivered at the international scientific symposium within the Festival. 

Mehriban Aliyeva, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP gave a speech in the ceremony.

Then, film on “Azerbaijani Mugham” and “World of Mugham” collections was shown.

Chairwoman of Presidium of the Azerbaijan Union of Composers Firangiz Alizade said projects that were dream in the near past have come true. Valuing the 2 projects presented as a necessary step for propaganda of the world of mugham she mentioned it all takes place thanks to Mehriban Aliyeva. According to F.Alizade, the First International Mugham Festival showed the Azeri mugham is an unapproachable summit.

Highly valuing the works done in the past years by President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, People’s Artist Arif Babayev expressed gratitude for implementation of projects serving safeguarding of mugham.

Honor Artist, winner of the First International Mugham Festival Teyyar Bayramov underlined Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s attention to young singers, saying it encourages the youth.