NEWS

Silk Road Music Festival  2021 has been canceled amid coronavirus pandemic.

Every year, the music festival brings together the best of local and international artists. However, close borders with some countries has made it impossible to hold the festival this year. 

Silk Road Music Festival  is traditionally held in late June - early July in the city of Sheki.

The festival is organized by the Azerbaijan Composers' Union, the Culture Ministry and Sheki Executive Power.

In 2019, Silk Road Music Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary. The festival's programme featured  Zirve ensemble, Sib-duo (Russia), Murager ensemble (Kazakhstan) and much more.

Scientists and experts from 10 countries also took part in the International symposium organized as part of the festival.

The closing ceremony featured a  joint performance of Azerbaijan State Orchestra of Folk Instruments and soloists of TURKSOY countries.

Azerbaijan and Egypt have agreed on expanding ties in the cultural field.

The Culture Minister Anar Karimov and the Egyptian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Adel Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim exchanged views on further cooperation.

In his remarks, Anar Karimov stressed the importance of expanding cultural ties with this country.

Anar Karimov praised the joint partnership within international organizations like the UN,  the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), etc. 

The Egyptian Ambassador Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim noted that Egypt intends to establish close ties with Azerbaijan in all fields and expressed his confidence that the cultural partnership will succcessfully expand in near future.

The diplomat said that the documents signed between the parties made a positive contribution to further deepening cooperation.

The Culture Minister Anar Karimov also met with the Turkish Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Ahmet Misbah Demircan to discuss the production of joint films and series dedicated to Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. 

Anar Karimov touched upon the meeting of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Shusha and the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations signed on June 15. 

Ahmet Misbah Demircan stressed that such reciprocal visits made a significant contribution to further deepening cultural ties.

He emphasized that the film industry is one of the important areas of Azerbaijani-Turkish cultural cooperation. Turkish Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister noted that the two countries have a number of interesting themes to enter international arena through cinema.

The sides also exchanged views on holding joint film festivals, cooperation between the public and private film organizations and cinematographers of the two countries.

They also talked about the Turkish-Azerbaijani film "Fulya", a documentary  about Fulya Ozturk, a military reporter of the "CNN-Turk" TV channel which has played a major role in conveying the truth about the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The 11 hours video materials, shot by Fulya Ozturk and camera operator, will be used in the project produced by Azerbaijan Film Studio and DADA Film Company.

The filming started in June at CNN Turk's headquarters in Istanbul and will continue in Ganja, Tartar, Barda, and Fuzuli. Fulya Ozturk arrived in Azerbaijan to participate in the filming. Screenwriter and director of the film is Tahir Tahirovic.

Furthermore, Anar Karimov met with the Cuban Ambassador Alfredo Nieves Portuondo.

During the meeting, the sides discussed joint holding of the cultural events and exchanged views on the prospects for further cooperation.

Mr. Alfredo Nieves Portuondo stressed the importance of further strengthening partnership between the two countries.

The meeting continued with a discussion of issues of mutual interest.

Baku Music Academy (BMA) has hosted a contest of romances dedicated to Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi.

The competition was timed to the 100th anniversary of the Baku Music Academy. The music contest brought together the 18-35 years-old composers.

After the jury voting, the first place went to Ilaha Israfilova (Ilaha Gismat).

Over the past year, the young composer has successfully presented her musical projects both in Azerbaijan and abroad. 

In 2019, Ilaha Israfilova presented her ballet dedicated to Azerbaijani poet Imadaddin Nasimi in New York.

Her other work "Mystic" for Kannel and tar aroused great interest in Estonia.

The composer brilliantly synthesized  Azerbaijani and Estonian traditional music styles. The work premiered two years ago. The music piece was successfully performed by Ibrahim Babayev  (tar) and Kristi Mühlin (kannel).

Another music project was implemented with the support of the Turkish Ministry of Culture. The composer's music piece sounded in the pantomime staged by Esin Aslan.

The young composer has also composed the "Dede Korkut" ballet to mark Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. The work on the ballet lasted for five years. The libretto for the ballet in two acts and six scenes was written by Iltifat Hajikhanoghlu.

Some of her music pieces like Scherzo for tar and piano as well as her romance entered  the gold fund of Azerbaijani television. Moreover, the composer has initiated the Jasus String Quartet and composed dozens of patriotic songs.

Meanwhile, Farid Fatullayev, Ulker Ashurbeyova and Sara Amirian, Nigar Suleymanova and Elvin Guliyev were also awarded with honorary diplomas.

A contest of romances was also held at the Azerbaijan Composers' Union. The competition was attended by professional composers and young talents.

In their remarks, the secretaries of the Azerbaijan Composers' Union, Honored Art workers Zemfira Gafarova, Jalal Abbasov and others stressed the importance of the poet's legacy and its influence on  Azerbaijani composing art.

The winners included Dadash Dadashev, Lala Jafarova and  Azer Dadashev.  Kamala Alizadeh, Tahir Ibishov and Farid Fatullayev were awarded with the diplomas.

A feature film "Farida" has been screened at Cheboksary International Film Festival.

Actress Maryam Ibrahimova, who played the main character, has won  "Anna" prize for "Best female lead role" at the fiction film competition.

The film "Farida" was shot by the Narimanfilm film company in cooperation with the St. Petersburg School of New Cinema.

The film tells about a young girl with hearing problems from the village of Khinalig, who comes to St. Petersburg to find her husband. She doesn't know anything about where he is now. The big city brings her together with different people and turns her life upside down. 

The film was shot in the genre of drama. The filming took place in St. Petersburg. 

The duration of the film is 70 minutes. Screenplay and director of the film Ksenia Lagutina, cameraman Dmitry Nagovsky, sound engineer Alexander Demyanov, costume designer Philip Nyrkov, make-up artist Alexandra Kosvintseva, producer Nariman Mammadov. The main role in the film is played by the young actress Maryam Ibragimova. Abdukarim Nasirov, Dilya Ulasheva and other actors also starred in the film. 

The film has been awarded at numerous festivals, including the 4th Gorky Fest Film Festival of Contemporary Cinema, the 9th Moscow Film Festival "Let's Live",  the 19th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF).

In December, the feature film won two awards at Stalker International Human Rights Film Festival 

The film received the Jury's diploma to the film director Ksenia Lagutina for the truthful disclosure of women's fate, while the director of the film was awarded the Special Prize of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

Azerbaijan State Art Gallery and the Khatai Arts Center have announced Kids Art Contest "My worldview-2021".

The contest is open for young artists aged between 11 and 21 years. Those wishing to become a participant in the competition should post a photo of their art work in the Khatai Arts Center group on the Facebook until October 10, 2021.

The theme of the work is free. Artists should reflect their feelings and worldview through art.

The artists should provide personal information, including name, surname, year of birth, place of study title of the work as well as contact numbers.

One artist can submit no more than two works for the competition. Each painting should be published separately. Foreign citizens can also take part in the contest.

The project is organized within the Year of Nizami Ganjavi with the support of the Culture Ministry, the Education Ministry, Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting, Khatai Executive Power, Azerbaijan Artists' Union and Nakhchivan Artists' Union.  

Founded in 1975, Azerbaijan State Art Gallery displays more than 14,000 paintings, graphics, sculptures, decorative and applied arts and contemporary art examples. 

The main activities of the gallery include preservation and restoration of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, researches on the current situation and prospects of the fine arts and decorative-applied arts and much more. 

The majority of exhibitions in Azerbaijan and abroad are mainly composed of the works stored in the gallery. 

The State Art Gallery regularly successfully holds various art projects, lectures and other events.

The Islamic World Heritage Committee (IWHC), during its 9th ordinary meeting, that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) convened, decided to inscribe 97 new historical sites and cultural elements, including 58 historical sites and cultural elements on the Final Islamic World Heritage List (IWHL) and 39 sites and elements on the Tentative List, according to the official website of the Organization.

The Committee also deferred six sites and stressed contacting the countries concerned to complete the relevant nominations files. The total number of inscriptions on the IWHL has reached about 320 historical sites and cultural elements.

The meeting brought together the representatives of the following Member States: Kuwait, Iraq, Mauritania, Pakistan, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Cameroon, Côté d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.

In his address, Dr. Mohammed Zine El Abidine, Head of Culture and Communication sector at ICESCO, highlighted the IWHC’s key role in safeguarding the historic, civilizational, and natural monuments and the cultural elements in the Islamic World. Dr. Zine El Abidine also underscored the keenness of Dr. Salim M. Al Malik, ICESCO DG, to safeguard and promote the Islamic world heritage, and enhance its presence on the regional and international scene, as well as his diligent efforts in following up the Sector’s action in this regard.

The Committee decided to adopt the General Secretariat’s report on the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the third extraordinary meeting, held on December 10, 2020. It also decided to form two commissions of experts accredited to the Islamic World Heritage Committee and under the supervision of ICESCO Heritage Center to examine the development of the forms and criteria of the inscription on ICESCO’s Lists of Tangible and Intangible Heritage. The IWHC General Secretariat will select the members of the two commissions from the Scientific Commission.

At the close of its proceedings, the Committee issued a set of recommendations, where it called on the Member States to provide the Islamic World Heritage Center with data on the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on heritage sites and museums, and their staff, support the center and provide technical and scientific assistance for the completion of the Encyclopedia of the Tangible Heritage of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The recommendations commended the efforts of the Islamic World Heritage Center to preserve heritage through activities, training courses, programs, and international agreements with specialized parties interested in various fields of world heritage. The Committee also called on the Member States to submit further nomination files for the inscription of heritage sites and intangible heritage elements on the Islamic World Heritage List and urged international organizations, and all countries to join the call of ICESCO and the Islamic World Heritage Committee to avoid intentional and unintentional damage to heritage sites and museums in situations of armed conflict, given that heritage belongs to all humanity.

“Known as a prominent poet, scholar and thinker, Nizami Ganjavi made outstanding contributions to the cultural integration between the west and the east. He is also well-known in China. In 2012, a statue of him was set up in Beijing Chaoyang Park for the Chinese people to pay their respects. With the attention and strong support from President Ilham Aliyev, Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) has played an increasingly important role in promoting dialogue and understanding among different civilizations and building inclusive societies and has become an internationally renowned institution dedicated to people-to-people diplomacy,” President of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) Wang Chao said in his interview.

“CPIFA and NGIC started cooperation in 2017. Since then, we have conducted fruitful cooperation and made great contribution to the friendship between our two peoples. All our work has been highly acclaimed and supported by our leaders of state. Two of my predecessors, Mr. Mei Zhaorong and Mr. Wu Hailong, respectively led a delegation to the Baku Global Forum and delivered a speech on China-related topics, enhancing the international community’s understanding about China. We’re deeply honored that President Ilham Aliyev received CPIFA’s delegation in March 2019,” he noted.

“In June 2019, CPIFA and NGIC co-hosted the 17th High-Level Beijing Meeting. During the meeting, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan met with the delegates from NGIC. The members of NGIC are eminent statesmen in Europe and beyond and they’re CPIFA’s old friends. Some visited China at the invitation of CPIFA, some attended the XVII High-Level Beijing Meeting and the Understanding China Conference. During their stay in China, they carried out candid exchanges with Chinese officials and scholars and provided fresh insights into how to facilitate the positive interaction between China and the world, improve the global governance system and promote globalization and multi-polarization. All these could not have been possible without the strong support from NGIC and I’d like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation again.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, our face-to-face communication has been affected, while our cooperation has not stop. After the outbreak of COVID-19 in China at the beginning of 2020, the members of NGIC sent letters to express sympathy, donated anti-epidemic medical supplies to China and invited its members to send video messages to firmly support China’s fight against the pandemic. We are highly grateful for all this. Besides, CPIFA and NGIC overcame the impact of COVID-19 and held several video conferences to exchange views on joint response to the pandemic, the international situation and other important issues, thus further consolidating the friendship between our two peoples,” Wang Chao mentioned.

“I’d like to reiterate that CPIFA has always attached great importance to its relationship with NGIC and is ready to continue to deepen our friendly exchanges and cooperation. Through this, we hope to contribute to the exchanges and mutual understanding among different civilizations as well as world peace and development. I was scheduled to attend the Baku Global Forum in Azerbaijan on March 2020 but just could not make it due to the pandemic. I’m looking forward to attending the Baku Global Forum by the end of this year and wish it a complete success,” the CPIFA president added.

The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation has hosted a presentation of the book "Rainbow of the Turkic World", published by the Foundation.

The book includes well-known folk fairy tales of the Turkic countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Hungary.

Speaking at the event, President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva noted that the title of the book "Rainbow of the Turkic World" was not chosen by chance.

"Each Turkic fairy tale individually represents one of the colors of the rainbow. Together, all these seven colors show the rich cultural heritage of the Turkic world. The book is not just a book of fairy tales, it also reflects the values of the Turkic-speaking peoples. Each of them calls for mercy, peace, mutual respect, and knowledge. On the other hand, they describe the traditions passed down to us by our ancestors. The peculiarity of the book is that all the fairy tales are decorated with illustrations by the little Azerbaijani artist Maryam Guluzade," the President of the Foundation said.

The ceremony also featured performance of students of the Children and Youth Development Center No.3 of Baku in the images of fairy-tale heroes, as well as a performance of national dances of the Turkic-speaking peoples organized by the Republican Children's Library named after Firidun bey Kocharli.

Then the participants were awarded certificates by the Foundation.

The event was attended by ambassadors and diplomats of the member and observer countries of the Foundation, as well as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and artists.

Heads of Azerbaijani theaters have discussed reforms in the field of art. 

The Advisor to the Culture Minister Elnur Aliyev and the head of the Arts Department Farah Ajalova met with the heads of the theater institutions operating in the country.

The meeting participants discussed the issues in the theatrical sphere. They also exchanged views on the ongoing reforms in this area.

The heads of theatrical institutions were instructed to prepare and submit to the ministry proposals for solving problems in the theatrical sphere.

Theater development in Azerbaijani culture has a very rich history, which begins with the theatrical elements of open-air folk performances, religious ceremonies and much more.

Azerbaijani theater originated in the second half of the 19th century, with the comedy "The Vazir of Lankaran khan" by Mirza Fatali Akhundov, the first Azerbaijani playwright, prominent thinker and philosopher.

First amateur performances staged by students of non-classical secondary school by initiative of Hasan-bay Zardabi and with the active participation of the Najaf-bay Vezirov and Alakbar Adigozalov, gave an impetus to the establishment of the national theater.

There are a number of theaters operating in Azerbaijan, including Sheki Drama Theater, YUGH Theater and many others. 

Today, Azerbaijani theatre art is taking a new turn in the art world. The country pays great attention to the development of theater art.

The 8th Golden Palm Awards will be held for the first time in Azerbaijan. The event will take place at Four Seasons Baku on June 30.

Golden Palm Awards is a prestigious award in Turkey, which has been awarded since 2014 for achievements in the fields of culture, art, media, business, medicine, sports, fashion, and architecture.

The project is co-organized by Brand İnvestment Group and Reputation Incorporated. 

The prize has been awarded to such celebrities as Sinan Akchil, Murad Boz, Kenan Dogulu, Mustafa Checheli and many others.

The 8th Golden Palm Awards  will open with a spectacular gala concert of pop singer Rilaya on June 29.

The organizers named some of the nominees, including Honored Art Worker Fakhriya Khalafova, People's Artists Faik Aghayev and Roya Ayhan, 25-time world kickboxing champion Eduard Mammadov, poetess and pianist Zahra Badalbeyli, artist Nigar Abbasbeyli, Vice-president of the Orienteering Federation Parvin Sharifovm,  Selim Uyar, Sevgi Ekyor (Turkey) and many others. 

The evening will be hosted by the popular Turkish actress and model Ozge Ulusoy.