NEWS

The weather will be partly cloudy, occasionally gloomy and mostly dry in Baku and Absheron peninsula on January 31.

Report says, citing the National Hydrometeorology Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, that mild south-west wind will be replaced by an intensifying north-west wind in the evening.

The air temperature on the Absheron peninsula will be +3 to +6 C at night, +11 to +15 C in the day, in Baku +4 to +6 C at night, and +13 to +15 C in the daytime.

The atmospheric pressure will drop from 759 to 754 mm mercury column, and relative humidity will be 70-80% at night and 50-55% in the daytime.

The weather will be mainly dry in Azerbaijani regions tomorrow. However, rain is expected in some places and snow in mountainous areas. It will be foggy at night and in the morning in some places. West wind will occasionally intensify in some places.

The air temperature will vary from -1 to +4 at night, +10 to +15 C in the daytime, in the mountains from -2 to +3 C at night, +3 to +8 C in the daytime.

According to the medical-meteorological forecast, meteorological factors tomorrow will be favorable for people sensitive to the weather.

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has established business ties with the museums of Morocco.

Presently, the Carpet Museum successfully collaborates with leading museums of the world.

As result of this cooperation, foreign museums host thematic exhibitions and lectures on Azerbaijani carpet art, organize scientific conferences and implement other projects, Trend Life reported.

All this became possible thanks to the decrees of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the preservation and development of Azerbaijani carpet weaving art.

During her visit to Morocco, the director of the National Carpet Museum Shirin Melikova held a number of meetings and signed memoranda of cooperation.

The visit was organized with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Azerbaijan and Morocco's National Foundation of Museums.

During her visit, the  Morocco's Youth, Sports Hassan Abyaba proposed to organize a program uniting the cultures of the two countries. The program provides for the implementation of projects in the field of promotion of music, museum work and the national cultural heritage of the two countries.

Shirin Melikova provided information on successful work in the political, economic and cultural spheres by the state, especially in the field of preserving the national heritage, and discussed the establishment of cultural ties and joint projects.

In conclusion, the Minister was presented with a book dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.

The director of National Carpet Museum also met the President of Morocco's National Foundation of Museums Mehdi Qotbi.

During the bilateral meeting, joint projects were discussed and a memorandum of cooperation was signed. Note that this is the first cooperation agreement between the two countries in the museum field.

Mehdi Qotbi emphasized that Azerbaijani culture will be met with great interest in Morocco.

The meeting also discussed the exchange program on Azerbaijani-Moroccan traditional carpet weaving and joint exhibitions.

The Moroccan National Museum Fund was presented with the Malibeyli carpet, woven by the employees of the traditional technology department, as well as the museum's publications - "Azerbaijan Carpet Museum - 50", "Art Embroidery from the Collection of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum" and "Latif Karimov".

During her visit to Morocco, Shirin Melikova viewed the Museum of History and Civilizations.

She also met with the director of the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Abdelaziz El Idrissi.

The parties exchanged views on future joint projects of these museums and the organization of exhibitions to popularize the carpet heritage of the two countries.

Moreover, prospects of cooperation were also discussed with the Dar El-Bash Museum and the Museum of Carpet and Textile.

The cooperation between the cultural centers of Morocco and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum will give a powerful impetus to the development of cultural ties between the two countries.

Republican Forum of Azerbaijani Culinary Experts has solemnly opened in Baku. The event was organized with the support of the State Agency for Tourism, State Agency for Vocational Education, the Center for National Culinary, and the Azerbaijan National Culinary Association.

The event was attended by representatives of state and public structures, educational institutions from Baku, Gabala, Ganja, Agstafa, Ismayilli, Masalli, Sumqayit, Lankaran, etc, Trend Life reported.

At the opening ceremony, the President of the National Culinary Association, the head of the National Culinary Center Tahir Amiraslanov spoke about the history, development and promotion of national culinary, successes in the international arena. He noted state pays special attention and care to national culinary.

Speakers, including director of the Baku State Center for Vocational Education Fikrat Nabiyev, representative of the State Agency for Vocational Education Aigun Zulfugarova, representative of the State Agency for Tourism Sakina Askarova and others stressed the importance of holding a forum, creating conditions for revealing creative potential and enhancing professional skills of young people.

The event discussed the creation of food bloggers group. Members of the World Association of Chefs' Societies and World Islamic Culinary Association were also elected.

The third Festival of National Sweets of Young Chefs was held within the forum. The event was timed to the Day of Azerbaijani Youth, celebrated annually on February 2.

The jury members evaluated delicious sweets made by students. The winners will be awarded with honorary diplomas and prizes.

International Mugham Center will host a concert dedicated to opera singer Rubaba Muradova on February 21.

The evening will be held as part of the project "Unforgettable" to highlight the singer's creative path, Trend Life reported.

The participants will share their memories about the opera singer. The concert will feature songs from Rubaba Muradova’s repertoire.

Rubaba Muradova is best known for her image of Leyli in "Leyli and Majnun" opera. Since 1947, she performed in various local theaters. In 1953, Rubaba graduated from the music school named after Asaf Zeynalli in Baku, where her teacher was famous mugham singer Seid Shushinsky

After graduating from music school in 1954, she began working in the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater. She performed parts in such operas as "Asli and Kerem, "Leyli and Majnun", "Ashug Garib" "Shah Ismail" and others.

Rubaba Muradova was also known as talented mugham singer, who toured many countries.

Tickets for the concert are available at iTicket.az website, ASAN Service Centers as well as at all ticket offices in Baku.

The International Mugham Center is a center of Azerbaijani arts and music aiming to promote, preserve and popularize the specific genre of Azerbaijani music, mugham.

Located in Baku Boulevard, the Center was built on initiative of the First Lady of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva.

The Center successfully implements  cultural projects directed to promote national music: " Evenings of ashug music", "Treasury of Secrets", "Evenings of mugham music", "Pearls of Ethnic Music" are among them.

Boulevard Hotel Baku will host Azerbaijan Best Awards on February 3.

Since 2016, the prize has been awarded in various categories for achievements in public life, education, medicine, business, culture, art, science, architecture, sports, the fashion industry and the media.

Among the current laureates are Egyptian ambassador to Azerbaijan Adel Ibrahim, Moroccan ambassador Muhammad Adil Embarsh, Indonesian ambassador Husnan Bey Fanani, People's Artists Hamida Omarova, Ilham Namig Kamal, Nisa Gasimova, Faik Agayev, Honored Art Worker Fakhriya Khalafova, famous singers Chingiz Mustafayev, Eldar Gasimov, Zamig Huseynov, Gunay Ibrahimli, Sevda Yahyayeva, Nura Suri, Khayyam Nisanov, Dilara Kazimova, Natavan Habibi, TV presenters Afag Ganjali, Vusala Alizade, Zumrud Badalova, Suna Kasimoglu, sportsmen  Eduard Mammadov, Tofig Musayev, Mahir Emreli and others.

The award ceremony for the winners of Azercell’s Student Bursary Program was held on November 28, 2020. Azercell’s CEO, Vahid Mursaliyev, Azercell’s Human Capital Management Department director, Ziba Mustafayeva and Student services manager of SABAH Groups Project, Mehriban Nazarova welcomed the winners of the program and wished them success in their future activities.

“Azercell’s activities are aimed at creating new opportunities for individual and professional development of students. We are delighted to act as the initiator of a number of projects conducted in order to encourage the scientific activity of talented youth. During 12 years Azercell has been annually organising Internship and Bursary programs for students and has allocated the scholarship to more than 230 students up to date ”,- said Vahid Mursaliyev.

It should be recalled that, Azercell opened applications for Student Bursary Program earlier in September of the previous year and received 1750 applies, accordingly. 741 students meeting pre-set criteria were invited to participate in the multi-stage selection process. In order to create equal conditions for all students, the specialists of the Azercell’s Human Capital Management department met with the students of both capital and regional universities throughout three months, provided information about the program and answered their questions.

It is worth mentioning that, this year 28 students have been awarded the title of “Azercell’s Scholar”. Thus, out of 28 students, 9 were selected from the universities in Baku, 10 - from the regional universities, and 9 - from SABAH group students, as a part of a memorandum of cooperation signed between SABAH groups under the Ministry of Education, and “Azercell Telecom” LLC in 2017. In addition to a monthly stipend of AZN 200, the winners will have a chance to enrich their knowledge about telco market, get closer to the latest trends of the digital world, participate in Azercell’s corporate events and social activities, receive various trainings, as well as take internship opportunity at Azercell.

The leader of the mobile communication industry, the largest taxpayer and the biggest investor of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan “Azercell Telecom” LLC was founded in 1996. Currently, 4.8 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Mobile operator controls 49% of market share; while its geographical coverage constitutes 99.2% (excluding the occupied territories); and population coverage 99.8%.

Azercell was the pioneering mobile operator to introduce a number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, mobile internet services, 24/7 call center service (*1111), 7/7 Front Office service, Azercell Express offices, M2M services, 4G technology and pilot version of 5G, mobile, online customer care services and customer services through social media, mobile e-signature service “ASAN Imza” etc.

Rapidly increasing 4G network of Azercell covers nearly 60 regions of the country, including Baku and Absheron peninsula. According to the results of mobile network quality and wireless coverage mapping surveys by international systems, Azercell’s 4G network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan. Azercell is the only company in Azerbaijan and CIS region which has been awarded Gold Certificate of International “Investors in People” Standard.

Running order for Eurovision 2020 semi-finals has been revealed.

Azerbaijan’s Eurovision 2020 entry will perform in the first semi-final on May 12.

The first semi-final will also bring together Northern Macedonia, Belarus, Lithuania, Sweden, Slovenia, Australia, Ireland, Russia, Norway, Cyprus, Croatia, Malta, Israel, Ukraine, Romania and Belgium.

Eurovision representatives from Austria, Moldova, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Iceland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Estonia, Denmark, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Finland, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Portugal and Albania will perform in the second semi-final on May 14.

Notably, Azerbaijan officially confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2020 on September 16, 2019,

Eurovision Song Contest 2020 will be held in the Netherlands in May 2020, after Duncan Laurence's victory in Tel Aviv.

Rotterdam has been selected as the Host City for the 65th Eurovision Song Contest. The song contest will consist of two semi-finals that will be held on May 12 and May 14. The final will be held on May 16.

Azerbaijan debuted at Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 after the Azerbaijani television channel ITV joined the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and received the official right to broadcast the competition. 

Azerbaijan marked its debut in 2008 with the duo of Elnur and Samir, who managed to become eighth in the final with their song "Day after day".

The brilliant duet of Aysel and Arash, which represented Azerbaijan next year, took the third place at the song contest, while Safura Alizada, who represented the country at Eurovision 2010 in Oslo, became fifth.

On its fourth attempt with Ell and Nikki's "Running Scared" song, the Land of Fire won the event, bringing the contest to Baku’s Crystal Hall in 2012. Ell and Nikki were the first mixed-gender duo to win the contest since 1963 and the first winners from Azerbaijan.

It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan reached the Top 5 in five consecutive contests - 3rd in 2009, 5th in 2010, 1st in 2011, 4th in 2012, and 2nd in 2013.

In 2018, Aysel Mammadova brilliantly performed at Eurovision 2018 semi-final, but she couldn't make it to the final. The singer represented Azerbaijan with the song "X My Heart".

Azerbaijan's Chingiz Mustafayev impressed all Eurovision fans with his stunning performance last year.  The singer finished in the eighth place at the song contest.

Another concert will be held at International Mugham Center on February 5 as part of "Evenings of ashug music".

The project aims to promote Azerbaijan's musical heritage, Trend Life reported.

Famous ashug Jahangir Sananoglu will perform at the concert. The musician will surprise  the audience with "Aslan Shah and Ibrahim" dastan.

Tickets can be purchased at all the ticket offices of the city, ASAN Service centers and website iticket.az.

The ashugs have long been called El anasi (Mother of the People) in Azerbaijan, as they have always expressed the hopes of the people, defended the freedom to love, and sung of devotion to country.

The lyrical poetry of the ashugs comprises dozens of forms and styles.

Ashug is frequently accompanied by balaban and wind bands. However, the saz is the principal instrument of the ashug. 

Since 2009 the art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

A natural-born singer with a voice that can only be described as a gift from the Heavens, Rashid Behbudov remains an incredible and rare talent. His voice pierces through the heart to unlock emotions and sentiments of intense power, and yet this artist shows acute vulnerability.

A memorial evening was held at the Azerbaijan State Song Theater to mark the singer`s 105th anniversary.

Among the guests were prominent public figures and businessmen, representatives of culture and science.

The director of the Rashid Behbutov Foundation, Kamil Shakhverdiyev, spoke about the life and work of the outstanding  singer who promoted national music all over the world. His name is forever written in golden letters in the history of Azerbaijani culture.

The great singer toured  extensively, delivering concerts in Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, India, China, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Finland, Poland and Latin America. He always started and ended his concerts with the song “Azerbaijan”. 

He was already known as a soloist of variety orchestras, but the fame that came after the film ‘The Cloth Peddler’ changed his whole life.

The brilliant voice gained wide acclaim due to his lead role in the musical comedy ‘Arshin Mal Alan’ ( The Cloth Peddler), filmed based on the operetta by Uzeyir Hajibeyli.  A touching love story could not leave the viewer indifferent. 

Chairman of the Board of VTB Bank (Azerbaijan) Yevgeny Kirin noted that over 10 years of its activity in Azerbaijan, the bank has carried out a number of socially significant social projects also aimed at promoting the country's culture.

The guests were then presented with a calendar with significant events linked with the works of Rashid Behbutov.

Folk artists Gulyanag Mammadova, Salman Gambarov, Honored Artists Aygun  Zeynalova, Fakhri Kyazim-Nijat, Aynur Iskandarova and other artists performed songs from the repertoire of Rashid Behbutov.

Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater will present Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece, "La Boheme" on February 22.

The theater invited famous opera singers to the main roles: the leading soloist of the Ukrainian National Opera, Honored artist of Ukraine Tatyana Ganina (Mimi), the lead soloist of the Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, the laureate of international vocal competitions Eduard Martinyuk (Rudolfo) and the soloist of the Belarus National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, Honored Artist of Belarus  Vladimir Gromov (Marseille).

They will share the same stage with People’s artists of Azerbaijan Ali Asgarov, Akram Poladov, Honored Artists Inara Babayeva, Tural Aghasiyev, Aliakhmad Ibrahimov  and others.

The opera will be conducted by the People's Artist of Azerbaijan, professor Yalchin Adigozalov.

“La Boheme” is composed by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger.The world premiere of the opera  was held in Turin on February 1896. Since then, La boheme has become part of the standard Italian opera repertory and is one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide.