NEWS

National Carpet Museum invites students studying painting and decorative-applied arts to take part in master classes.

Every Thursday, the master class participants will learn more about carpet patterns, technical features and color scheme used by  People's  Artist Kamil Aliyev.

The students will make sketches based on his masterpieces. 

The project is organized as part of the exhibition "Kamil Aliyev: Artist and Time" at the Carpet Museum.

The exhibition features 8 carpets from the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum's collection, 3 carpets from the collection of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, and 3 carpets and 5 sketches from the artist’s family archive.

Meanwhile, the first master class will be held on October 28, at 14:00. All equipment for the master class will be provided by the museum.

More information is available on the museum's Facebook page. 

Kamil Aliyev brilliantly transformed the classical carpet compositions and designed the ornaments not only for carpets but also for different types of textiles, including ceramic.

However, it was the portrait carpets that brought him worldwide fame. Kamil Aliyev managed to grow this genre into a whole direction in carpet weaving, which is still in demand today.

During his long and creative life, Kamil Aliyev designed a wide variety of portrait carpets using different carpet weaving methods to portray the images of artists and political leaders: world-famous poets Nizami Ganjavi, Imadaddin Nasimi, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, Shota Rustaveli, Rabindranath Tagore, politicians Heydar Aliyev, Mahammad Amin Rasulzade, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Indira Gandhi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ruhollah Khomeini.

The artist held solo exhibitions not only in Azerbaijan but also in Paris, London, Tokyo, Delhi, Ankara, Istanbul, Tehran, Moscow, and Kyiv. His carpets are preserved in world-famous museums and private collections.

Azerbaijan Independence Museum has opened a patriotic exhibition in memory of the heroes and martyrs of the 44-day Patriotic War.

The exhibition features photographs and personal belongings of martyrs presented by their families.

The opening ceremony was attended by gazis of the Karabakh war, family members of the  martyrs  and representatives of the youth, who praised the courage of Azerbaijani soldiers who liberated  the country's territories previously occupied by Armenian. 

They pointed out that Azerbaijani Army led by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev defeated the Armenian aggressors who occupied Azerbaijani territories for about 30 years.

Now, the whole country will celebrate the anniversary of the Great Victory on November 8.

Particularly touching were the speeches of the martyrs' parents, who proudly talked about their children, who showed true patriotism and love for the homeland.

In conclusion, the museum visitors watched patriotic performance presented by choolchildren and students.

Notably,  the exposition will stay open until October 31.

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed after Armenia launched large-scale attacks on Azerbaijani forces and civilians on September 27. 

The 44 days of war ended with the Russian brokered peace deal signed on November 10 by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.  

The peace agreement ended the 30-years-old conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region that along with the seven adjacent districts came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

For about three decades, Armenia failed to implement the UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of the Armenian troops, which was the main obstacle to the resolution of the conflict.

Ramiz Mustafayev's opera "Vagif" will be presented at the State Opera and Ballet Theater on November 7.

People's Artist Ali Asgarov (Vizier), Honored Artists Ramil Gasimov (Vagif), Farida Mammadova (Khuraman), Farid Aliyev ( Ghajar ), Jahangir Gurbanov (Eldar), Elnur Zeynalov (mugham singer), Tural Aghasiyev (Alibay), as well as soloists Taleh Yakhyayev (Ibrahim khan),  Ayten Maharramova (old woman), Rza Khosrovzade (Vidadi), Zumrud Davudova (Gulnar) and others will take part in the opera timed to the 120th anniversary of Azerbaijan`s prominent mugham singer Khan Shushinski. 

The opera will be conducted by the chief conductor of the Opera and Ballet Theater, Honored Artist Ayyub Guliyev.

The opera was directed by Honored Art Worker Hafiz Guliyev, chief choirmaster, Honored Art Worker Sevil Hajiyeva, art director- Honored Cultural Worker Yusif Babayev.

Azerbaijan's vocal treasure, mugham singer Alim Gasimov has performed at Bozar Center for Fine Arts in Brussels. 

Every year, Sufi Night highlights the incredible cultural richness of the Sufi world. 

The evening featured Sufi music and beatiful mugham compositions performed by Alim Gasimov. 

The concert was sold out, arousing great interest of the Belgian public.

One of the world’s truly gifted singers, Alim discovered the world of mugham as a child, when he began singing for his own enjoyment. He grew up in the town of Shamakhi, 100 km northwest of Baku. "I had no idea that I would become a singer," he recalls.

Gasimov continues to play an important role in the promotion of the Azerbaijani culture, especially mugham around the world.

He was awarded the International Music Council-UNESCO Music Prize, one of the highest international accolades for music in 1999. For that achievement, he was quoted by the New York Times as simply one of the greatest singers alive, with a searing spontaneity that conjures passion and devotion, contemplation and incantation.

Also known as an artist of supreme versatility, Gasimov has collaborated and performed with some of the world’s leading musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma, Kronos Quartet and Jeff Buckley.

People's Artist of Azerbaijan Alim Gasimov was one of four Azerbaijanis among the 500 most influential Muslims in the world, chosen by competition, conducted by the Center for Strategic Studies and the famous American Georgetown University in Jordan.

Some of the best Tatar films have been screened in Baku as part of the Tatar Cinema Days. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the head of the Rossotrudnichestvo office in Baku Irek Zinnurov noted that the event serves as a cultural bridge between Russia and Azerbaijan.

The film director of Tatarkino Studio Milyausha Aituganova spoke about the films presented within the Tatar Cinema Days. 

Next, the audience enjoyed the film  "Mullah" which tells about Asfandiyar who received an unexpected offer to become a mullah in the village where he built a mosque.

The arrival of a young mullah in the village reveals a whole layer of deep-seated problems of the modern Tatar village...

A comedy "Apipa" about a female music ensemble was shown at YARAT Contemporary Art Space. 

After watching the film, viewers were mesmerized by the performance of the Honored Artist of Tatarstan Alsu Abulkhanova.

The Russian Cultural and Information Center screened the film "Halima" which was especially liked by the younger generation.

The main character of the film, Halima, is considered a "black sheep" at school, she does not meet the standards of modern adolescents. Her view of the world and religion, friendship and love is too different from the views of her peers.

The film's main character faces the rejection and hostility of other children, their parents and school teachers. The envy and intolerance of society for Halima's success ultimately lead to a series of dramatic events.

Notably,  the Tatar Cinema Days featured films shown at Kazan International Muslim Film Festival.

The motto of the festival is "To the dialogue of cultures through the culture of dialogue".

The festival focuses on the exchange of the workers in culture and arts between Russia and Muslim countries of the neighboring and far-abroad countries.

Representatives of the Tatar community in Azerbaijan, cultural and art workers, representatives of creative organizations and youth attended the film screenings.

World-renowned singer and composer Sami Yusuf has performed a gala concert as part of the Expo Dubai 2020.

He shared the same stage with kamancha musician, Honored Artist Togrul Asadullayev.

Speaking about the concert, Togrul Asadullayev told journalists that for his concert Sami Yusuf gathered many talented musicians from Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Canada, China, Pakistan, India and other countries, including Azerbaijani mugham singer Tayyar Bayramov, Shirzad Fataliyev (balaban).

"We have rehearsed for several day. Everyone was like one family. The concert was a great success...," he added.

The musicians thrilled the audience with fascinating music of the peoples of the world.

The music piece composed to the Nasimi's poetry was also highly acclaimed by the audience.

Sami Yusuf  gained international attention with the release of his debut album, Al-Muallim, in 2003.  Now with over 34 million albums sold, he performs at venues around the world.

As of 2020, Yusuf has released 8 studio albums, 5 live albums, 1 compilation album, and multiple singles throughout his career. 

The British musician of Azerbaijani origin believes that all traditions in the world are expressions of the same essential spiritual truth and it is no surprise that the singer turns to traditional music as a means of conveying this message.

The positive message of his lyrics gives voice to a collective yearning for peace and harmony, and his use of global rhythms and melodies united by spiritual vision captivates listeners worldwide.

Sami Yusuf uses his fame to help people through his humanitarian activities such as the World Food Program. In 2014, The United Nations appointed Sami Yusuf the Global Ambassador against Hunger. In 2015 Sami Yusuf promoted the world’s first interfaith anthem, a song called “The Gift of Love”, to mark the World Interfaith Harmony Week.

Through this effort, Sami Yusuf hopes to help people from different traditions recognize that the common values they hold far outweigh their differences and that this understanding can be the starting point for the journey toward a lasting peace.

Azerbaijani artists have presented  their art works in Art Shopping at Carrousel du Louvre.

Rovshan Nur, Sahib Asadli, Leyla Aliyeva, Farida Musaeva, Nihad Aliyev, Fidan Safarova, Zahra Gafarova, Zahra Mammadzadeh, Arzu Yusifova, Ailin Safarova (Azerbaijan), K. Muzaffer Gencher (Turkey) and Anael Sunny (France), Abdelkrim Benbelkasem (Algeria), Tamara Mindiashvili Adamia (Georgia) displayed their mastepieces at ASMAR Art pavilion.

The exhibition brought together talented artists from Azerbaijan, France, Algeria, Turkey, Georgia and other countries.

 ASMAR Art stand aroused great interest among the exhibition visitors.

"The guests were delighted with the color scheme. , Urban motifs painted in the impressionistic manner by the Azerbaijani artist Rovshan Nur charmed the guests of the vernissage. Moreover, the exhibition visitors also joined art discussions with the artists," said Honored Artist Asmar Narimanbayova.

Asmar Narimanbayova was born in a family of eminent artists. Her father Togrul Narimanbayov, was world-famous Azerbaijani artist, while her mother Elmira Huseynova was a sculptor.

Asmar grew up in the atmosphere of love to art, music and literature. She is an artist full of light, wide and enthusiastic soul. While creating works in different styles starting from fauvism to impressionism, then from postimpressionism to cubism and expressionism, the artist has found her individual creative manner of the letter, the original color sensation acting as a composition dominant. She has been characterized for her bold and engaging style.

Colors in her artworks fill the form with dynamics and saturate her canvas with the strong energy. Narimanbayova’s works are displayed in exhibitions, international festivals and symposiums all over the world.

The International Mugam Center and the Russian National Museum of Music signed a memorandum of cooperation, Report's Russian bureau informs that the main goal of the cooperation is to popularize the musical traditions and heritage of Azerbaijan and Russia.

Mikhail Brezgalov, General Director of the Russian National Museum of Music, spoke about the joint activities carried out with the Mugham Center for 10 years. He also noted that the signing of the agreement is a very important contribution to the development of both the museum of music and the mugham center: “We are signing an agreement on our close cooperation, because we already have a number of projects that we are going to implement in the near future in Moscow and Baku".

According to him, the national tradition of mugham is known all over the world: "Here, in the national music museum, everyone can study it and try their hand at mugham, and our Azerbaijani colleagues and friends will help us in this."

"The musicians of the International Mugham Center and its activities will be represented much more widely thanks to the signed agreement. We will be happy to contribute in every possible way to the unification and cultural communication of musicians. It is very important that musicians and masters of culture communicate, hold joint events, as this enriches their creative life. I hope that this document will contribute to the popularization of the activities of the international mugham center. And our compatriots, who live in Russia and Russian listeners, will also be able to join the traditions and foundations of Azerbaijani national art and music," Murad Huseynov, director of the International Mugham Center, said.

After the signing of the document, a mugham concert was performed by famous khanandas or mugham performers.

Uruguayan singer and actress Natalia Oreiro and her son Mollo Oreiro Merlin Atahualpa have been granted Russian citizenship, Report informs, citing Russian media that a relevant decree was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Note that Natalia Oreiro’s main role in the Argentinean TV series "Wild Angel" brought her world fame. She was nominated for the 2001 Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album.

Azerbaijani musicians have successfully performed at Palais des Fêtes de Strasbourg.

The ethno-jazz concert was timed to the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence and the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan's membership in the European Council.

The Franco-Azeri music band consists of  jazz musician Etibar Asadli, Honored Artist Shahriyar Imanov (tar), French musicians Billy Martin (drummer) and Samuel de Zaldua (double bass).

The concert was sold out. Some listeners heard Azerbaijani jazz for the first time and expressed their admiration.

Etibar Asadli is the author of 11 plays for piano, theme and variation, sonata, for violin and piano 2 preludes, 3 plays for flute and flute, 2 preludes for violin, 1 romance and for the great symphonic orchestra 1 symphonic overture.

In 2008-2013, he successfully performed at multiple festivals, including Baku Jazz Festival and the festival dedicated to Kovkeb Safaraliyeva 

He gave many solo concerts in many parts of the world, thrilling everyone with his own music pieces. 

Etibar Asadli has shared the stage with many worldwide famous musicians like Turkish clarinet performer Hushnu Shenlenderegy, mugham singers Alim Gasimov and Farghana Gasimova.

During the concert with mugham singers, he managed to synthesize jazz with mugham and achieve a very interesting performance. 

In 2014, he performed several concerts as a part of the Rast group in the 48th Montreux Jazz Festival that took place in Switzerland. In October though, he performed a solo concert in the International Baku Jazz Festival. 

Next year, the musician performed ethnic-jazz concert in Paris alongside with tar musician Shahriyar Imanov within Azerbaijan's Days of Culture.

He also took part in the Les 2 Mondes festival held in France, where he synthesized mugham and jazz.

Shahriyar Imanov had his first competitive entry in 1999 in memory of Haji Mammadov and won the 1st place. His first solo concert took place in 2001. The musician was accompanied  by the Azerbaijan State Orchestra. In 2007, he won the Republican contest in memory of Akhsan Dadashov.

He also took the 1st place at the International Mugham Festival 2013.