NEWS

Music is a form of expression. It binds us in a way that language rarely does. Some people feel music so much deeper than others.

Known for his unique music pieces, Ramin Kuliev lets the music pass through the hidden corners of the soul.

Ramin Kuliev has been making music for almost 22 years. After studying for 10 years in the piano class, he began to practice in the class of jazz pianist Shahin Novrasli. Kuliev was also a student of Azerbaijan's eminent composer Pikya Akhundova.

Azerbaijan's jazz legend Vagif Mustafazadeh inspired the young talent to plunge into the charming world of music.

Ramin Kuliev entered Baku Music Academy to study music composition in the class of Arif Melikov.

The pianist decided to enter a music academy in the Czech Republic. Now he is on his third year.

Kuliev continues to thrill music lovers with his fascinating music pieces in various music styles from classical and electronic to New Age, Ambient and Trip-hop. He is also engaged in composing music for animation movies.

In his interview with Azernews, Ramin Kuliev shared the history behind his debut music album "Dream".

"This music album was composed within a month. It features 14 tracks in the New Age music style. Each music piece was composed in approximately two hours. I simply put my hands on the keys and let the music flow within...," said Kuliev.

The musician noted that all tracks are united by the common theme. After his second track "Dream", Ramin Kuliev decided to create an album with this concept.

"I just woke up early in the morning for 14 days, sat down behind the piano and simply composed. When a person wants to listen to these tracks, he just has to lie down, close his eyes and listen," he said.

While listening to these music pieces, one can plunge into an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. The listener may even fall asleep. Many times, the musician soaks in all these feelings in his dreams. Each song in the album has a certain meaning, which makes you feel rethink about a life path.

"While listening "Circle of life" one can feel how everything seems to repeat over and over again. Although every day brings something new and adds more colors to your life," said Kuliev.

On October 21, the musician presented his new patriotic track "Qarabag 91" dedicated to Azerbaijan. "Qarabag 91" is not the first such track. On October 9,  Kuliev released the track "Voices", his first Trip-hop track. As the musician says, these tracks are associated with Azerbaijan's fight for its territorial integrity.

"In the track "Voices", I used the voice of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and prominent singer Rashid Behbutov. The track "Qarabag 91" features the voice of eminent mugham singer Kanan Bayramli, who sings Bayati-Shiraz. At the very beginning of this piece, I used his voice track in reverse. This technique works like a mirror. The same technique was also used in other parts of the track. Why did I do it this way? Well, the explanation is simple. Since childhood, I have heard this mugham performed by him, and associations with events happened in the 90s and the terrible pain that my people felt that time. Now on the contrary, we are returning our lands. I put this symbol into this track .. I hope everything will end quickly, and victory will be ours," the musician said.

Speaking about his future plans, Ramin Kuliev said that one of his biggest passions is to compose soundtracks for movies.

"I have some desires that I am making plans for in order to bring them into reality. I hope everything will work out and I will compose soundtracks for movies," he added.

Azerbaijani artists have presented a series of stunning art works in Art Tower Gallery. 

Co-organized by Arts Council Azerbaijan (NGO) and Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve, the exhibition "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" focuses on moral support to Azerbaijani soldiers who are fighting against Armenian invaders. 

The exhibition displays art works by talented Nigar Familsoy, Kamila Muradova, Roya Hasanova, Nurai Allahverdiyeva, Matanat Niftalieva, Roza Muradova, Eldar Babazade, Intigam Aghayev, Eldar Hasanov and Aynura Mustafayeva.  All the paintings were created as part of the workshops held in the gallery. 

The art works presented at the exhibition are on sale. The funds received will be transferred to the Azerbaijan Armed Forces Relief Fund.

The project curator is the head of the Arts Council Azerbaijan, national artist Dadash Mammadov.

The exposition will run until October 31 from 11: 00-17: 00. All visitors are required to wear face masks amid the coronavirus pandemic.  

Arts Council Azerbaijan is an international and independent art platform, aimed at promotion of Azerbaijani culture and art.

The organization is the head of the International Arts Council Network operating in different countries around the world. Arts Council Azerbaijan is headed by Dadash Mammadov since 2006.

Many projects have been operating for many years under the auspices of the organization. Among them are Art Gazette, Production Studio, Azerbaijan Animation Museum named after Nazim Mammadov, Art School Drawing School, "Under open air" plein air, Art Residence, Youth Network.

With its defensive fortresses, Icherisheher is a symbol of patriotism and a great source of national pride and dignity.

Numerous unique monuments, including the Shirvanshahs Palace complex, mosques and minarets, the ruins of caravanserais and bathhouses make this place one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

The Old City became the first location in Azerbaijan classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

In 2000, the Old City of Baku, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower, became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 2019, the historic centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Restoration and conservation works are currently carried out in the Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. 

Baku Municipal Theater has expressed its support to the National Army, which is fighting against Armenian occupants.

The theater donated money to Azerbaijan Armed Forces Relief Fund, established by the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev in 2002.

The Fund finances at the expense of funds received on a voluntary basis from legal entities and individuals operating in Azerbaijan and other receipts not prohibited by law for the purpose of financial assistance to strengthen the material, technical and social base of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces.

The theater staff emphasizes that the Azerbaijan Armed Forces are fighting heroic battles for the liberation of the ancestral Azerbaijani lands from the Armenian invaders. The Azerbaijani army is carrying out its sacred mission with valor. 

Baku Municipal Theater also released a patriotic video that features poems  of Samad Vurgun.

The deep, heartfelt reading of the poems by the theater actors fully reflects the high patriotic spirit of the Azerbaijani people, the inviolable solidarity of the entire country in the struggle for the liberation of the ancestral lands from the invaders.

The scriptwriter and director of the project is People's Artist Marahim Farzalibekov, cameraman - Ilgar Geybatov, editor - Elnur Ehtiramoglu. 

The cast includes Tural Akhmed, Ulviya Rza, Zulfiya Gurbanova, Togrul Rza and Elchin Muradov. The theater actors consider the implementation of such patriotic projects as their duty, and will continue to work in this direction in the future.

It should be noted that the staff of the Baku Municipal Theater has repeatedly performed in front of servicemen on the front line.

The Russian "Melodiya" record company has presented a vinyl record in honor of Azerbaijan's legendary singer Muslim Magomayev.

The vinyl record features songs by Polad Bulbuloglu, Mark Fradkin, Arkady Ostrovsky and other Soviet composers performed by Muslim Magomayev, as well as his own composition - "Blue Eternity".

Recordings were made in 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1981. The digital edition contains a bonus track - the song of Muslim Magomayev "Lullaby of Falling Stars".

With his incredible baritone, Muslim Magomayev greatly enriched Azerbaijani musical culture. His life was full of bright events which still excite music lovers around the world. 

The legendary singer inherited his passion for music from his family. His grandfather also named Muslim Magomayev (1885–1937), was considered one of the founders of modern Azerbaijani classical music.

His music career started at a very young age. He was only 19 when he first performed at an international youth music festival in Helsinki. His brilliant performance was highly appreciated by a Soviet politician Yekaterina Furtseva and the Minister of Culture of the Soviet Union, who offered him to be a soloist at the Bolshoi Theater. However, Magomayev declined this offer.

A year later, Magomayev performed at the Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Moscow. He sang an aria from Gounod’s Faust, and the song "Do the Russians Want War?" at a gala concert at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses.

A year later, he gave his first solo concert in the Moscow Tchaikovsky Concert Hall to a full house and became a soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

In 1964 and 1965, Muslim was a visiting artist at La Scala in Milan, but turned down the invitation to sing in the Moscow Bolshoi Theater upon his return. Instead, the singer turned to popular music, becoming a pop idol for several generations of music lovers in the Soviet Union.

Muslim Magomayev became a cult figure all across the Soviet Union. He performed three concerts a day filling huge arenas.

In 1969, he received the MIDEM Gold Disc Award in Cannes for album sales of over 4.5 million units. At the age of 31, Muslim was awarded the Soviet Union's highest artistic title: People's Artist of the USSR.

Magomayev moved to Moscow in the early 1970s. He worked as an art director of the Azerbaijan State Bandstand-Symphonic Orchestra.

The singer successfully toured many countries, including France, Bulgaria, Finland, Canada, etc.

Magomayev was also known as a composer, writing several film soundtracks and songs. He also acted in films and hosted television and radio broadcasts.

An exhibition of art works by Azerbaijani Honored Art Worker Rafig Aziz has opened in Istanbul, Turkey. 

The event titled "Exhibition - Istanbul" which took place at Sahil Nevmekan State Exhibition Hall, was attended by the head of Uskudar Municipality Hilmi Turkmen.

Rafig Aziz greeted the guests and informed the visitors about the exhibition. 

The exhibition, which reflects the history of old Istanbul, features 44 oil paintings. 

The art works was highly appreciated by art lovers. The exhibition will last until December 20.

The artist, who has lived in Istanbul since 1992, has been teaching at Istanbul's Yeditepe University. He brought 10 children who lost their parents in the first Karabakh war in 1992 to ISTEK Foundation in Istanbul and has helped them to study in Istanbul.

The artist has created nearly 170 paintings on historical themes which are kept in museums around Turkey.

In addition, seven of Rafig Aziz's  masterpieces features on 50 and 20 Turkish lira commemorative silver coins stored at the Turkish State Mint.

Azerbaijan's young musician Agharahim Guliyev has paid tribute to Azerbaijani martyrs.

The 19-years old flutist performed music composition "Le Retour" in honor of Azerbaijani people, who lost their lives as a result of Armenian aggression, Association Dialogue France-Azerbaïdjan reported. 

The filming of the video took place near the Eiffel Tower and in the cultural center of the Azerbaijani Embassy in France.

Young flutist and pianist Agharahim Guliyev is a student at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot. His music teachers are world famous flutists Patricia Nagl, Salvatore Lombardi, James Galway.

National History Museum has displayed art works of talented artists, professors at Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts Mir Azer Abdullayev and Vugar Ali.

The artists dedicated their masterpieces to Azerbaijan's history and Nagorno-Karabakh region. The art works are inspired by bravery of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces who are fighting for the liberation of Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenian invaders. 

The art works include Azer Abdullayev's paintings "Stab in the back", "Ethnocide", "Azerbaijani soldier who turned sorrow into joy!" as well as Vugar Ali's posters "Shusha", ""Glorious history of Karabakh!", "Earth - Motherland!". 

The works were handed over through the head of the museum's Department of Scientific Mass Work and Education  Farida Shamsi.

Mir Azer Abdullayev is a member Azerbaijan Artists Union. He is also a lecturer at the design department of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts. His works have been displayed at republican and international exhibitions. 

Many of his paintings have won awards and prizes at various exhibitions and competitions. The artist's works are kept  in private collections in Azerbaijan and abroad. 

Vugar Ali's paintings are filled with sunlight. The canvases depict picturesque houses, narrow streets of the Old City as well as wide avenues and majestic buildings.

Vugar Ali has been drawing since a very young age. He inherited his father's devotion to art.

However, the things have turned out quite differently. Many years passed and the artist's father chose another profession. Despite all challenges, Vugar Ali made his father's elusive dream come true.

Vugar Ali was engaged in drawing at the Palace of Culture and Visual Arts in Zagulba and other institutions. During this time, he met with Mesume Aghayeva, who played an invaluable role in the life of the artist.

In 1991, the artist entered the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, where he studied at the Faculty of Industrial Graphics.

As a student, Vugar Ali participated in various exhibitions. His first solo exhibition was held in 1985 at the Palace of Pioneers.

Musical theme takes a special place in the art of Vugar Ali. Through his art, the artist perfectly expressed all richness of jazz music.

His art works were successfully presented at Baku International Jazz Festival (2016).

The exhibition featured the portraits of Azerbaijani and foreign jazzmen of different generations - Emma Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Rafig Babayev, Parviz Rustambayov, Vagif Mustafazade, İsfar Sarabskiy and others.

His next exhibition "The Rhythms of Colors" displayed more than 50 paintings inspired by jazz music. The event took place at Baku Museum Center, bringing together public and art figures.

Moreover, Vugar Ali is currently teaching at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts.

Presently, the artist is working on new paintings. He plans to further delight art lovers with his colorful art works.

Azerbaijan National Museum of History is one of the architectural pearls of the country, dating back to the 19th century. The largest museum in the country, was originally the private residence of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, who was the famous national oil baron remembered for his generous philanthropy.

Over 300,000 items are assembled in 10 collections in the museum, including a valuable library consisting mainly of unique books.

The collections allow visitors and researchers to investigate the history of the country and the daily life and culture of the nation from ancient times to the present.