Showing posts with label Azerbaijan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Azerbaijan. Show all posts

Monday, 11 July 2016

Djanali Akperov sings Azerbaijanian Mugams - LP published in Soviet Azerbaijan in 1982


Here we present a LP by one of the greatest Mugam singers of the second half of the 20th century. In the last post there were already four pieces by him. Maison des Cultures du Monde in Paris published in 1996 a wonderful double CD by him, which is still available on their website: here


Here part of their liner notes:
"The mugham, the classical music of Azerbaijan, holds pride of place among the oriental music for its beauty, its power of expression and its extraordinary vitality. Although this music is monodic and modal, each musician, whether singer, lute (târ) or bowed lute (kemânche) player, enjoys a great freedom of interpretation which provides its special depth. The mugham offers, at one and the same time, outstanding diversity and unity: the alternance of compositions and semi-improvisations, of free and regular rhythms, of joyful and sombre moods, is balanced by the smoothness with which all these elements are linked together without interruption.
Born in the 1940s, Djanali Akberov learnt music from his family. Then, he followed Syed Shushinski's courses at the Zeynali School of Music, while he became impregnated with the art of Khân Shushinski through his concerts and radio broadcasts. Hence, Djanali Akberov is an heir of the two greatest singers of the first half of the 20th century and an outstanding figure in Azeri classical music. Despite his age of 50 when these recordings are made, Djanali maintains the qualities of voice tone and vocal suppleness of a young singer with, in addition, an understanding, a depth of interpretation that only comes with maturity."







Saturday, 2 July 2016

Azerbaijan Mugams Destgakh - Box of 4 CDs containing a box of 5 LPs published 1989 in Azerbaijan plus another LP


In the mid 1990s a friend lent me from his collection a box of 5 LPs of Mugams from Azerbaijan plus a single LP. Unfortunately I don't remember anymore if it was a friend from Amsterdam or from Berlin. Both had (and have) quite a collection of Melodia LPs from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and other Soviet Oriental Republics. A friend digitized the LPs, scanned the covers and made out of them a four CD box. The LP box "Azerbaijan Mugams Destghakh", published in 1989, consists of 7 LPs, but the one we got had only 5 LPs. The LPs 1 and 5 were missing. The singers are the greatest and most traditional of the second half of the 20th century. In the booklet the biography of Janali Akparov is missing. The 5 LPs of this box are here on the first 3 CDs:

CD 1: Alim Ghasimov (Qasimov) - Bayat-i-Kurd & Aqakhan Abdullaev - Bayat-i-Shiraz (LP 2), Janali Akparov - Cargah & Yakup Mammadov - Zabol-Segah (LP 3).
CD 2: Janali Akparov - Orta Mahur, Dugah & Kurd Shahnaz (LP 4), Arif Babayev - Humayun (LP 6, side A).
CD 3: Arif Babayev - Rast (LP 6, side B), Aqakhan Abdullaev - Rahab & Bayat Qajar (LP 7).

CD 4 contains a LP of two less known, but excellent singers.








Tuesday, 28 June 2016

Aghakhan Abdullayev - Dorna - Musiqi Sanati Azerbaijan (Art Music of Azerbaijan) - Cassette published in Iran


Aghakhan Abdullayev (Aqakhan Abudllaev) is one of the most important and most traditional Mugham singers of Azerbaijan. Born in 1950, he is a student of the great Haji Baba Huseynov (1919-1993) and is regarded as the guardian of Mugham. He is also one of the most important teachers. Amongst his students is the famous Alim Qasimov. Here we present a cassette recorded and published in Iran. A wonderful CD has been published in France by Inédit - Maison des Cultures du Monde. 
See: http://www.maisondesculturesdumonde.org/node/238





Monday, 19 October 2015

Habil Aliyev (28 May 1927 – 8 September 2015) - In his memory: LP "Kemancha" published in 1990 in Azerbaijan


We only received recently the sad news that Habil Aliyev, the great Kemencheh master from Azerbaijan, past away on september 8th. Here we offer in his memory a LP we bought at a memorable concert in Cologne in 1993 in which he participated. Both me and my wife were very impressed by his stage presence and his very noble, almost regal bearing and of course his exquisite music. I knew him already before from recordings. It might have been that I bought this LP already before in an Iranian shop in Cologne which used to have a whole pile of LPs from Sowjet Azerbaijan. He was probably the greatest Kemencheh player of the 20th century, held in very high esteem in his country and also in Iran, where he performed reguarly, occasionally with Shajarian, and also recorded. I have two Iranian cassettes by him, which a couple of years ago were republished on CD. The CDs can be obtained from info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com.
In the west there was only one CD published in 1992 by Auvidis, no longer available for many many years, and two CDs of the ensemble which I saw in 1993 in Cologne, published in 1994 by Institut du Monde Arabe/Blue Silver, also no longer available for many years and never republished. The ensemble consisted of Habil Aliev, the great tar player Ramiz Gouliev, the two singers Zahid Gouliev and Elza Gaybalieva and the nagara player Ali Amiraslanov. These two CDs contained also a number of solos by the two instrumentalists. It's a pity that they were on the market only for quite a short period. 
For more info see:
http://habilaliyev.az/eng/diskoqrafiya/plastinka.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habil_Aliyev


Side 1:
1. Dilkesh and Tesnif
2. Chahargah


Side 2:
1. Bayati-Hajar and Tesnif
2. Bayati-Shiraz and Tesnif


accompanied by:
Agagusyn Samed-Zade - Garmon (used here as a drone)
Beyukaga Muradov - Nagara (in the Tesnifs)


Zhuzhu had posted this LP already in 2011 on her excellent blog, but only in mp3 format. See: http://zhuzhulingo.blogspot.de/2011/08/blog-post_05.html

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Alim Gasymov (Qasimov) - Destgah - Azerbaijan Mugams 1 - LP Melodiya C30 24023 006 (1985)


Here one of the earliest recordings by Alim Qasimov. 
LP first published 1985/1986. This edition is from 1990.

Alim Gasymov - Vocal
Bahram Mansurov - Tar
Talyat Bakikhanov - Kyamancha (Kemenche)
Vartan Avetisov - Daf

Side 1: 
Mahur-Hindi (17:51)


Side 2:
Shur (23:11)



Sunday, 13 January 2013

Historical Recordings from Azerbaijan - Part III - Kececi Oglu Mehemmed (1864-1940) - LP published in Azerbaijan in 1991


The third LP of a series of three LPs, published in Azerbaijan in 1991, with historical recordings from the beginning of last century by three of the greatest Mugham singers of those times, contains performances by Kececi Oglu Mehemmed (1864-1940). The recordings were made in 1906.  


Kecəci Oğlu Məhəmməd
(1864 - 1940)


Side 1:
1. Humayun (3:17)
2. Shushtar (3:12)
3. Shushtar Tesnifi (3:03)
4. Coban Bayati (3:05)
5. Heyrati Tesnifi (3:05)
6. Arak (3:05)
7. Segah (3:04)


Side 2:
1. Rahab (3:13)
2. Tac (3:01)
 3. Tehranim (3:02)
4. Yetim Segah (3:17)
5. Osmanli Tesnifi (3:04)
6. Qarabag Shikesti (3:07)




Many thanks to Danny for bringing this LP from Azerbaijan.

Friday, 11 January 2013

Historical Recordings from Azerbaijan - Part II - Meshedi Mehemmed Farzelioglu ( ? - 1962) - LP published in Azerbaijan in 1991


The second LP of a series of three LPs, published in Azerbaijan in 1991, with historical recordings from the beginning of last century by three of the greatest Mugham singers of those times, contains performances by  Meshedi Mehemmed Farzelioglu ( ? - 1962) (also written as Məşədi Məhəmməd Fərzəli oğlu). The recordings were made between 1906 and 1914.  



Side 1:
1. Budaq Sari Genceli (3:13)
2. Hesar (3:01)
3. Shushtar (3:01)
4. Alma (2:58)
 5. Durn Gedek (3:24)
6. Bayati (3:08)


Side 2:
1. Bayati-Esfahan (3:49)
2. Celal Xaliq (3:14)
3. Ceyranim (3:02)
4. Yeri Dam Üste Yeri (3:05)
5. Bayati Ecem (3:20)
6. Tesnif (3:16)




Many thanks to Danny for bringing this LP from Azerbaijan.

Thursday, 10 January 2013

Historical Recordings from Azerbaijan - Part I - Cabbar Qaryagdioglu (1861-1944) - LP published in Azerbaijan in 1991


We start here to post a series of three LPs, published in Azerbaijan in 1991, with historical recordings from the beginning of last century by three of the greatest Mugham singers of those times. We start with the most famous: Cabbar Qaryagdioglu (his name is also written as Jabbar Garyagdyoglu).

"Jabbar Garyagdyoglu (Jabbar Mashadi Ismayil oglu’s stage name) was born on 31th of March in 1861 in Shusha and died on 20th of April in 1944 in Baku. The khanende (singer) is one of the eminent khanendes who played a big and important role in Azerbaijan music history. A newer stage of khanendes school is closely bound with his name. Jabbar Garyagdyoglu got his education in Shusha in Kharrat Gulu’s class.
Having a very wide diapason and charming voice he was compared with the well-known italian singer Caruso. Russian poet Sergey Yesenin called him “The prophet of Eastern music”. Getting well-known in Karabakh, Ganja, Shirvan, Baku mugam meetings Jabbar also became famous in Iran, Transcaucasia and in Middle East countries. 
Jabbar Garyagdyoglu was the first in music histort who sounded mugam from theater and concert stages. Thus, in 1897 Jabbar Garyagdyoglu was the performer of Majnun in “Majnun over Leyli’s grave” by Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev.
Khanende Jabbar created a trio which included in it tar player Gurban Primov, and kamancha player Sasha Oganezashvili and this trio performed for 20 years. During 1906-1912 Jabbar Garyagdyoglu’s performs was recorded by the “Sport-Record”, “Ekstrafon” and “Grammafon” stockholder companies in Moscow, Warsaw and in Kiev. 
Returning from Warsaw in 1912 he gave “Sharg konsertileri” (“Eastern concerts” name of program) in Moscow. Different from former artists Jabbar firstly sang gazals (poems) in mugams and tasnifs in Azerbaijan language. “Istekanin deshilsin”, “Tiflisin yollari”, “Irevanda khal galmadi”, “Nakhchivanin gediyinden asheydim” tasnifs was created by Jabbar. 
Jabbar Garyagdyoglu was the winner of the Transcaucasia Art Olympiad held in Tiflis (|Tbilisi) in 1934. Seyid Shushinski, Bulbul, Khan Shushinski, Zulfi Adygozelov and many others continued Jabbar Garyagdyoglu’s traditions."
from: http://www.mugamradio.az/performers/khanendes-singers/jabbar-garyagdyoglu

The recordings on this LP were made between 1905 and 1915.



Side 1:
1. Simai-Shems (2:46)
2. Mensuriyye (3:04)
3. Xumar Oldum (3:03)
4. Gyl Achdi (2:55)
5. Yetim Segah (3:13)
6. Deshti Tesnifi (3:03)
7. Manendi-Moxalif (2:44)
8. Mahur Tesnifi (2:58)


Side 2:
1. Qargamisham (3:08)
2. Mahur Tesnifi (3:08)
3. Arazbari (3:02)
4. Bayati Qacar (3:24)
5. Mirza Hüseyn Segahi (3:03)
6. Mahur Tesnifi (3:57)
7. Qarabag Shikestesi (4:07)




Many thanks to Danny for bringing this LP from Azerbaijan.

Thursday, 6 December 2012

Mugam Trio Djabbar Karyagdyoglu - Mugam from Azerbaijan - LP from 1991


Zakhid Kuliev - Vocal, Naqara
Mokhlat Muslimov - Tar
Fakhratdin Dadashev - Kemanche

Zakhid Kuliev - his name is transcribed sometimes as Zahid Guliev or Quliyev - is
next to Alim Qasimov perhaps the singer with the most amazing and beautiful
voice of his generation.

Side 1
Maxur – Xindi (Mahur-Hindi)
(folk music – A.Vakhid) – 22.26


Side 2
Simai – Shems
(folk music – D.Vasif) – 10.30
Heiraty – 6.45
Gyullyu Gafiya – 3.18
(folk music and text)



Download

Liner notes:
Classic Azerbaijani “mugam” dates back to a long history. It was developed, polished and passed from mouth to mouth. The only thing that wasn’t changed is the creative task of bearers of mugam, which comprises the ability of joining the strict rules of formations and freedom of its interpretation. A mugam performer sings and plays traditional variant of classical composition while demonstrating at the same time his ability of improvisation to listeners that adds a unique colour to the sounds of popular melodies.
Traditional mugam ensemble is a trio, casting a singer-hanende and performers on Azerbaijani national musical instruments “tare” (stringed) and kyamanche (bow). Drumming (“def”) party of music is performed by a singer himself.
From the earliest times Azerbaijani mugam art presents three main performing schools – Karabakh, Shirvan and Baku. Each of them added their amazing tints to the development and formation of this Azerbaijani “dastgyakh”.
The performance of “dastgyakh” can be compared with climbing to the Everest from all slopes by the strongest, skilled and well trained professionals.
Mugam trio named after Djabbar Karyagdyoglu offers organic blending of tastes of two schools: lower-Karabakh (in its turn Karabakh School has three trends: gorno- (mountain), middle- and lower-Karabakh) – singer-hanende Zakhid Guliev and Baku stringed musical instrument player Mokhlat Muslimov, and a bow player Fakhratdin Dadashev. Each of them, possessing an impressive individual performing aspect, tactfully locates the orientation of the improvisatory fantasy of a partner in the ensemble.
A repertoire of classical Azerbaijani mugam ensemble consists of mugams, zerbi-mugams, Azerbaijani-mugams and even traditional ashug (Caucasian folk) melodies.
Ancient land of Azerbaijan has been always generous with talents. Majority of them glorified this beautiful land to the world, entering to the golden foundation of world musical art. Safiaddin Urmevi, Abdul Kadyr Maragi, Uzeir Gadjibekov, Sadykhdjan, Djabbar Karyagdyoglu, Mirza Mamed Gasan, Kurban Primov, Bakhram Mansurov and other Azerbaijani musicologists and performers are the stars of “mugam galaxy”. Undoubtedly, we are the spectators of appearance of new stars, flaring with special glitters.
Gasan Adigezal-zade

Many thanks to Berdak Bayimbetov for the translations and transcriptions, especially the big work of translating the liner notes.

Monday, 1 October 2012

Bahram Mansurov (1911-1985) - Azerbaijani Mugam - Unesco Collection - Musical Sources - LP published in 1975


Another wonderful LP by the great master of Azerbaijani Tar, the only one published in Europe. Later republished on CD as part of the Unesco Collection from Auvidis/Naive, but no longer available for many many years. As accompanist you can hear him here.

Side 1:
1. Mugam Bayati-Isfahan (5:31)
2. Mugam Humayun (8:32)
3. Mugam Nivanishapur (4:58)
4. Mugam Shur (9:08)


Side 2:
1. Mugam Mahur-Hindi (11:58)
2. Mugam Bayati-Kurd (6:49)
3. Mugam Chahargah (9:04)