Int'l Mugham Center Holds Fascinating Musical Evening

International Mugham Center has hosted a fascinating musical evening as part of the project "Azerbaijani Mugham", Azernews reports.

Laureates of the Mugham Television Contest Mahabbat Safarov, Khayal Huseynov and Mirali Sarizada mesmerized the audience with their performances. All three are students of the acclaimed mugham singer, Honored Artist Tayyar Bayramov.

The director of the International Mugam Center, Honored Artist Sahib Pashazade welcomed the guests of the evening.

In his speech, Sahib Pashazade pointed out that the project aims to preserve and pass on to future generations our school of classical performance, to convey the philosophy of the ancient mugham art to the general public. Included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, mugham is the embodiment of the soul of the Azerbaijani people, a reflection of its traditions and customs.

People's artist, Professor Vagif Mamedaliyev hailed the special attention paid by the Azerbaijani state to the ancient national art of mugham.

He drew attention to the number of talented artists formed as a result of holding music competitions.

Mugham as a form of Azerbaijani folk music is deeply rooted in the spiritual culture of the East. It is one of the oldest genres and the basis of the Azerbaijani oral classical music tradition, along with song and dance folklore. Included in the UNESCO List of Masterpieces of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity, mugham is the embodiment of the soul of the Azerbaijani people, a reflection of their traditions and customs. In total, there are seven main types of modes: Rast, Shur, Segah, Shushter, Chargah, Bayat-Shiraz, Humayun and several secondary ones. Their performance requires high masterly training and special talent.

Mugham regulates the harmonious balance of a person, awakens affection and love for life, and finally, it is a monument of art that has played a significant role in the development of spiritual values ​​of mankind for centuries. In this sense, the mugham is a symbol of love and wisdom. The mysterious world of mughams has always attracted the attention of scientists around the world. Musicologists, literary scholars, historians, scientists and philosophers of the Middle Ages have conducted many scientific studies on this unique form of art.

Rast, performed by mugham singers Meshadi Mammad Farzaliyev, Khan Shushinski, Yagub Mammadov, Hajibaba Huseynov, Aghakhan Abdullayev, Vagif Abdullayev enters the treasury of the Azerbaijani musical culture.

Rast is one of the seven main modes in Azerbaijani music. The translation means - correct, true, straight. In medieval music, Rast was considered the basis of the first and all other mugams, so it is called the "mother of mughams".

In his work "The Fundamentals of Azerbaijani Folk Music", the great composer Uzeyir Hajibayli writes: "By its nature (aesthetically and psychologically), Rast evokes a sense of courage, bravery and vigour".

Based on the Rast mugham, a multitude of works have been written in opera, ballet, symphonic and other genres.