Memory of jazz legend honored in Baku [PHOTO]

17 March 2020 13:29 (UTC+04:00)

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By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani jazz legend Vagif Mustafazade would have turned 80 years old. On the eve of his birthday, Vagif's friends, public and art figures and fans of his music, have visited the grave of the outstanding pianist. They stressed his invaluable role in the Azerbaijani musical culture.

Vagif Mustafazade enriched the world music with new jazz style. Founder of Azerbaijani jazz mugham, wrote numerous jazz compositions, including fugues, preludes, ballads and scherzos, many of them written in the 1970s. He released a total of eight albums, all with different line-ups, mood and style.

By the early 1960s, Vagif was gaining recognition far beyond Azerbaijan.

Winner of numerous jazz festivals such as "Tallinn-66", "Tallinn-67", Baku festival "Jazz 69", Donetsk 1977 festival, and "Tbilisi-78", Vagif Mustafazade always fascinated listeners with his originality and virtuosity.

Musician's death was a shock to many people. He was only 39 years old when he died on stage while performing in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) in 1979.

Jazz schools around the world have recognized Vagif Mustafazade as a phenomenal musician. His works represent a unique combination of eastern and western schools, of tradition and innovation.

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