World-famous kamancha player returns to Azerbaijan

9 October 2019 13:03 (UTC+04:00)

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By Laman Ismayilova

Famous Israeli composer and kamancha player Mark Eliyahu will once again delight his fans in Azerbaijan.

The musician will present an unforgettable show at the Elektra Hall in Baku on November 14 and Ganja State Philharmonic Hall on November 15 as part of his Caucasus music tour, Trend Life reported.

Famous for his virtuosity, Mark Eliyahu will surprise music lovers with a wonderful atmosphere. A concert program will be presented with organizational support from United Cultures and 124 Studios.

Recall that Mark Eliyahu performed at the Heydar Aliyev Palace and Rotunda Hall Landmark this May.

"Let It Go" was a special show that combined antique instruments such as kamancha and tar, as well as modern arrangements and electronics. At the concert, the musician brilliantly performed all his famous compositions, as well as several new ones written especially for the evening.

The Israeli musician performed a duet with a soloist of Azerbaijan State Television, a mugham singer and honored artist Beyimkhanim Veliyeva. They presented a song "Do You Remember" written on the lyrics of one of the most popular poems of the Turkic-speaking world, "Counting Stars" by Mohammad-Hossein Shahriyar.

The virtuoso musician created a truly memorable atmosphere at the concert. His magnificent performance immersed the listeners in the wonderful world of music.

Eliyahu was born in 1982 in Dagestan, Russia. He emigrated to Israel with his parents in 1989. Mark Eliyahu inherited his musical talent from his family.

"All members of my family are musicians. My father, Peretz Eliyahu was a tar player, while my grandfather was a kamancha player, and all these instruments have been a part of my life since I was born. From 4 years old I studied violin, and when I was 16 years old, I left home and went on a world tour in search of myself and my music," the musician said.

His real ascent in music began when he heard the performance of a prominent Azerbaijani kamancha player Habil Aliyev. At the age of 16, he was inspired by Aliyev's performance and moved to Baku to learn playing kamancha under guidance of Adalat Vazirov.

In Baku, Mark met with Habil Aliyev, who even presented his kamancha to the young talent.

In his virtuoso performance, Mark Eliyahu presents to modern music lovers the pearls and depth of Turkish, Arabic, Iranian and especially Azerbaijani music - mugham.

"Azerbaijani mugham is a great music of the heart and soul, something outside of this world and very close to you at the same time. All thoughts and philosophy can be transmitted only through music, and not everyone is able to fit all the greatness and richness of mugham," he said.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova