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  • Azerbaijan Chefs Guild signs tripartite memorandum

    Azerbaijan Chefs Guild has signed a tripartite memorandum of cooperation with Ukrainian Chefs Guild and Belarusian Chefs Guide.

    The memorandum focuses on development of culinary and confectionery art and popularization of traditional cuisine. Multiple culinary projects will be implemented within trial cooperation.

    The document was signed at the 3rd Culinary Championship in Ukraine.

    Chairman of Azerbaijan Chefs Guild Ilkin Akberzade was included in the international jury of the competition, along with representatives of Ukraine, Belarus and Italy.

    Professional and novice chefs competed in 13 nominations, but the title of "Golden Chef-2021" was not awarded to anyone. In this regard, next year, the participants of the competition will be able not only to win the right to be called the "Golden Chef of Ukraine", but also to receive monetary rewards in an increased amount.

    Sessions of the chefs " World Cuisines" was held as part of the culinary championship.

    The 3rd Culinary Championship in Ukraine also featured Ukrainian Rest Day, aimed at developing the restaurant business, with the participation of the country's leading speakers and restaurateurs.

    Earlier.Chairman of the Azerbaijan Chefs Guild Ilkin Akberzade has been invited as a  jury member to Expo Culinaire 2021 in Dubai.

    The event  was attended by representatives of the UK, Germany, Egypt, Pakistan, Syria, South Africa, Vietnam, Indonesia, Jordan, Sri Lanka, India, China, Philippines, Malaysia and other countries.

    A number of events, including master classes, exhibitions, competitions for chefs, cooks, bakers, pastry chefs, etc. were held in virtually amid coronavirus pandemic. 

    In 2019, the Azerbaijan Culinary Guild also showed its best at Gastro World Master Chefs International Competition held in Turkey. The national team grabbed four gold, one silver, four bronze medals and Gastro World Master Chefs Cup to the country's medal haul.

    Moreover, national pastries enjoyed great success at the World of Food 2019 Culinary Festival held in Abu Dhabi. Chairman of the Azerbaijan Culinary Guild Ilkin Akbarzade delighted sweet lovers with 55 national desserts. 

    The festival's guests enjoyed various kinds of shakarbura, pakhlava and much more.

  • French TV streams Azerbaijani music

    French Mezzo TV channel Mezzo has broadcasted the works of Azerbaijani classics. 

    The concert featured Uzeyir Hajibeyli's Overture from Koroghlu opera, Haji Khanmammadov's Concerto no. 2 for tar and orchestra, Fikrat Amirov's Symphony "To the Memory of Nizami" and Arif Melikov's Symphony no. 4

    The music pieces were performed by the Russian State Academic Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, conductor Fuad Ibrahimov.

    Famous tar musician, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Sahib Pashazade also took part in the concert held at Moscow State Conservatory last year. 

    "The greatness of Azerbaijani classical music and mugham is known all over the world, and we are proud to present our art. It is a great honor for me that I became the first Azerbaijani tar player whose performance is presented on such a prestigious world TV channel. This concert will be presented within the framework of a five-year contract during some seasons, " Sahib Pashazadeh told Trend Life.

    The TV channel also streamed Firkat Amirov's ballet  "One Thousand and One Nights" and concerts with participation of  People's Artists of Azerbaijan, including  pianist Murad Huseynov, mugham singer Alim Gasimov conductor Rauf Abdullayev (conductor).

    Formed in 1992, Mezzo is a French television channel devoted to classical music, opera and ballet, jazz and world music. 

    In 2008, TV channel introduced a new filler feature, Divertimezzo, renamed Intermezzo in 2011, consisting of video clips fashioned from its programmes, with the usual wide range of music.

    Mezzo TV is broadcasting in over 80 countries with an international audience of more than 60 million subscribers.

  • Azerbaijani films available on new virtual platform

    Narimanfilm Studio has launched an updated platform of Azerbaijani films for compatriots living abroad.

    Now local films are available on new virtual platform Az Cinema Online aimed at promoting Azerbaijan's cinema, television and culture on international level.

    In addition to domestic films, platform visitors can also watch films produced in Azerbaijan by foreign filmmakers and leave reviews. Moreover, cinema lovers are invited to join discussions with film critics.

    Azerbaijani cinema has come to be an internationally recognized modern art enjoying a huge popularity and recognition at international film festivals, which frequently award the national films.

    Over the past years, more than 300 films and 1,200 documentaries, as well as hundreds of cartoons were filmed.

    Shortly after the Lumiere brothers from France invented cinematography, an apparatus for making motion pictures in 1895, Russian photographer and cameraman Alexandre Michon began shooting motion pictures that depicted everyday life in Baku. 

    The first short, silent film of Azerbaijani cinematography "You are caught" was shown in Baku on August 2, 1898. The audience witnessed a historical event - the birth of Azerbaijani cinematography.

    To honor this historical day, the national leader Heydar Aliyev signed an order on December 18, 2000, to declare August 2 as the professional holiday of cinema workers – Day of Azerbaijani Cinema.

    At present, it is planned to carry out systemic reforms to develop and modernize cinema art in Azerbaijan. 

  • YARAT to display art works of eminent artist

    YARAT Contemporary Art Space will display art works of Azerbaijani artist Rashad Alakbarov from June 10 to December 30. 

    "Look At You!" is the experimental multidisciplinary solo exhibition by Rashad Alakbarov. While the exhibition is a new experiment with various materials in the artist’s creative work, it also presents his practice in a new and unpredictable way. This immersive project commissioned by YARAT feature's the artist's new sculptures and installations.

    The art project is a silent dialogue with spectators, provoking them to think. The labyrinth is the main key to make this dialogue happen. It embodies ideas of action, renewal, and rebirth corresponding to symbols that lead the person to reality/self-understanding.

    Considering the "MacGuffin effect", the artist explores the context of a labyrinth and emphasizes the importance of process/way, rather than object/event. Installations embedded with allegory and metaphors lead to the deepest layers of a human being and reveal ambiguous thoughts. Originating from this concept, Alakbarov’s references, based on mankind/society, creation and being, memory and remembrance, faith, political structures, and kitsch culture, appeal to the person himself/herself.

    More than an adaptation of the labyrinth concept, the exhibition reflects its transformation and the expansion of this idea. In this "journey” using distinct "tools", the artist talks about past and current processes. Referring to the red thread of the Ariadna, who is one of the main characters of the labyrinth myth and the daughter of Minos, the King of Crete, the artist has placed directional messages throughout the labyrinth.

    These messages act as an auxiliary tool to understand the art pieces in the exhibition and follow the ideas of the project concept. Explaining European values through a cultural and moral prism, the artist creates parallels that intersect with Eastern philosophical thought and mythology. In the artworks where autobiographical elements exist, the artist touches upon the topics of remembrance and memory.

    The components containing this leitmotif include fragments from childhood games to the post-Soviet household. They are spread all over the labyrinth like the pieces of an uncompleted puzzle. Reminiscent of Alakbarov's project at Venice Biennale, “I was here” is also a reference to local subcultures.

    The exhibition is curated by Farah Alakbarli.

  • YARAT to host new group exhibition

    YARAT Contemporary Art Space is pleased to announce a new group exhibition by emerging artists from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Israel, and Ukraine. 

    The event will take place at YARAT Contemporary Art Centre from June 10  to December 30. 

    Titled "Last flowers of the 20th century: Generation Y", the exhibition explores the personality of Millennials through key subjects, questions, and issues.

    "Generation Y", or Millennials, are the people who were born in the 20th century but grew up in a new millennium.

    They are highlighted as people different from the previous and next generations, which emphasizes the uniqueness of this generation. As the last flowers of the previous century, they built the current reality through their personal realities.

     "Last flowers of the 20th century: Generation Y" draws attention to ways of self-identification and self-expression through different levels of social perception.

    Reflecting reality with reference to Soviet past, it gives voice to the artists' youthful experience. Static or dynamic, stuck or in progress, the exhibition creates diverse images of how people make sense of their life.

    Full of memory and nostalgia, selected art works also examine their social environment, which is a crucial factor in the formation of this generation. Playing with concepts of culture, subculture, and trend, the art project reveals the core rhythms of lifestyle and behavior.  

    "Last Flowers of the 20th century: Generation Y" brings together video, photography and photo installation works of six emerging artists. Selected works of Alina Orlov (Israel), Giorgi Rodionov (Georgia), Zamir Suleymanov (Azerbaijan), Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Himey (Ukraine), and Sasha Kurmaz (Ukraine) showcase different realities, values, and perceptions of youth from different countries who are living in the same time frame.

    The exhibition is curated by Farah Alakbarli. Exhibition opens: Tuesday through Sunday, from 12 am – 20 pm. Admission is free.

    Address: YARAT Contemporary Art Centre (National Flag Square).

  • Carpet Museum presents fairytale rug

    Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has displayed stunning carpet woven by eminent artist Eldar Mikayilzade.

    The carpet showcases scenes from fairytales and characters such as "Malikmammad", "Boy on White Horse", "Flying Carpet", "Beautiful Fatma", "Pomegranate Girl and "Rooster and the Shah".​

    Let's take a closer look at the center of the carpet: there is an image of a genie who comes out of the lamp in the famous fairytale Alibaba and Forty Thieves.​

    The lower part of the carpet portrays two children. They hold three apples in their hands. In the traditional ending of Azerbaijani fairytales, three apples fall from the sky, for those who narrated and listened.

    Meanwhile, the Carpet Museum stores over 14,000 exhibits of the finest Azerbaijani carpets.

    The museum hosts multiple events, including international symposiums, conferences and various exhibitions.

    In 2019, the museum received national status for its significant contribution to the popularization and promotion of the Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art.

    In 2020, the Carpet Museum enriched its collection with beautiful pile carpets purchased by the Culture Ministry at the Sartirana Textile Show in Italy.

    The 19th century Guba carpet Ugakh was donated to the Carpet Museum, while Karabakh carpet Chelebi enriched the collection of the museum's Shusha branch.

    The Carpet Museum also focuses on cooperation with world-leading museum organizations.

    Moreover, the Carpet Museum won Travelers' Choice Awards for the fourth time in a row last year.   

    Carpet-weaving art is considered an integral part of Azerbaijani culture and craftsmanship. Azerbaijani carpets are stored in many prestigious museums and private galleries around the world.

    According to their technical aspects, Azerbaijani carpets are classified as flat-woven (pileless) and knotted (pile). The flat-woven carpets are linked to the earlier period of carpet weaving. There are several kinds of pileless carpets such as Shadda, Verni, Jejim, Zilli, Sumakh, Kilim and Palas.

    Shadda is a flat weave carpet, made primarily in Nakhchivan, Agdam, Gubadly, Agjabedi. The artistic composition of shadda made by complicated whipping, as well as its constituents have a complex form.

    One of the most widely spread type of the flat-weave carpet is "verni". The key pattern of "verni" is the S-element. Its shape varies, it may resemble both figure 5 and letter S. This element means "dragon" among the nomads and “water” among the village people.  According to the ancient believes, a dragon featuring carpet would protect the family from foul weather. Agjabedi, Barda, Aghdam, Nakhchivan are the centers of this type of pileless carpets.

    Jejims are woven on simple horizontal looms by narrow stripes 30–35 cm wide and 15–10 cm long. The resulting product is a cloth to be used as a wall carpet, a bedding coverlet, or curtains.

    The major jejim production centers are Barda, Nakhchivan, Zangilan, Shusha, Shamakha.

    Zilli carpet is characterized by stylized forms of animals and vegetal elements. In terms of their composition and pattern the Azerbaijani zillis are very diverse. They feature the images of large elements in the shape of big lozenges, paired horns, various stylized elements.

    The Sumakh carpets have become widely spread and recognized over the last few centuries. Since the 18th century, they have been made in country's Guba and Gusar regions.

    The Sumakh carpets feature the diverse stylized vegetal motifs, various geometrical elements such as large hexahedral, square, rhomboid medallions.

    Kilim is the most widespread type of flat-woven carpets. They are made by passing the weft through the warp using the technique of compound interweaving. Kilim is characterized by a slot-like gap (opening) around the geometrical patterns.

    The technique of kilim weaving predetermines the pattern shapes in the form of a lozenge, triangle, and trapezium. Images of animals, birds and humans are geometrized in kilims. Kilims of different regions are distinguished by their composition, pattern, and colors. In terms of their technical peculiarities kilims can be classified into five major groups based on the area of production: Kazakh, Karabakh, Absheron, Shirvan and Tabriz kilims.

    Palas is one of the widely spread flat-weave carpets. The palas weaving process consists in passing the weft through the warp by a simple technique.

    The weavers decorate the palas by traditional patterns in the form of horizontal stripes commonly used throughout Azerbaijan. As a rule, the palas is not framed by a border.

  • Baku hosts Caspian Awards Azerbaijan 2021

    Caspian Awards Azerbaijan 2021 has been solemnly held in Baku.

    Founded by Avand Production, the prize is awarded for the successes achieved in the country's social, economic, medical and cultural areas. 

    Among the laureates of this year's award are People's Artists of Azerbaijan Mansum Ibrahimov, Elchin Gashimov, Fidan Hajiyeva, Melekhanum Eyyubova, Gulyanag Mammadova, Honored Artist Elnur Ahmadov, Honored Culturar Worker Samira Aliyeva, veteran of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War Zakir Imanov, ashug Ali Tapdioglu,  musiciansTunar Zeynalov, Ramil Nabran, Turkan Velizadeh, Rufat Akhundov, Aynur Dadashova, Leyla Ramazanli, Trend News Agency's correspondent Vugar Imanov and others. The event was hosted by Azer Akhsham.

    The author of the project is Ayaz Mammadov, the executive producer-Khayal Ahmadov, the producer in the field of culture is Narmina Gafarli, the producer for graphics and design- Gunay Tapdigova.

  • Turkey names orchestra hall after national violinist

    The Turkish Chukurova University State Conservatory has named the orchestra hall after Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, violinist Farhang Huseynov.

    The rector of the conservatory, associate professor Ulviya Aslanova Gulyar came up with a corresponding initiative, and it was approved by the council of the university.

    Farhang Huseynov, who lived in Turkey since 1992, worked as a deputy head of the department of string instruments at the Chukurova University State Conservatory. He was engaged in educational process and taught students to perform on violin.

     Over his life, Farhang Huseynov performed multiple concerts in Ankara, Izmir, Mersin, Bursa and other cities.

    Farhang Huseynov was born in 1949 in Azerbaijan. He graduated from the performing faculty of the Moscow State Conservatory and  composing faculty at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. He worked as an assistant professor at String Instruments Department of the Baku Music Academy. 

    Huseynov is the author of many music pieces, including operas "The Little Prince" and "Kodayu",  sonatas for piano, violin, cello, cantatas for soloists, chorus and orchestra and a number of other works. Farhang Huseynov passed away in 2010.

  • Theater figures to join festival in Moscow

    Azerbaijan's theater figures will join the project Laboratory for Young Directors from the CIS, Baltic States and Georgia on June 5-16.

    Initiate by the International Confederation of Theater Unions, the project is timed to o the 200th anniversary of the birth of Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky's stories will be taken as material analysis and theatrical plays. 

    The event will be organized within the 15th Chekhov International Theater Festival. 

    During the master classes, theater experts will inform laboratory participants about their ways of working with texts. A theater play will be staged after master classes.

    The laboratories of young directors from the CIS, Baltic and Georgian countries have been held since 2008 with the support of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS Member States (IFES).

    Founded in 1986, Chekhov International Theater Festival is actively involved in productive exchanges that go far beyond the European continent. Latin America, Japan, South Korea, and China became an integral part of the festival activities. Over 500 plays have been staged as part of the festival.

  • National tar musician awarded in France

    Famous tar musician, Honored Artist Sahib Pashazade has been awarded in French city Carrières-sous-Poissy for high performing skills during a concert program dedicated to the International Day of Peace. 

    "I have performed six works of Azerbaijani and French classics. When I was performing mugham, two people in the hall stood up and began to applaud. As it turned out, they were the mayor of Carrières-sous-Poissy and the world famous Tajik sculptor, UNESCO World Artist Amri Aminov. After the concert they came up to me and said that they could not resist and decided to stand up to greet my mugham performance. So, I was very proud and pleased," the musician told. 

    Almost two years have since that performance. After two years, the city mayor awarded Sahib Pashazade with the medal. 

    "Moreover, the mayor added that such performance must be highly appreciated and rewarded. Almost two years have passed since that performance, followed by pandemic. A few days ago I was very surprised hearing this news," he added.

    Now Sahib Pashazade is the only Azerbaijani musician who received this medal.

    Over the past years, tar musician has successfully participated in gala concerts and festivals in Turkey,  Morocco, China, Lithuania, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Japan, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Georgia, Kazakhstan and other countries. 

    In 2011, Sahib Pashazade was awarded with the title of Honored Artist of Azerbaijan.