Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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A concert program titled "Western Azerbaijan Ashig Art Today" has taken place at Shahriyar Cultural Center, Azernews reports.

The event is organized by the Culture That Unites Us Public Association (Bizi Birləşdirən Mədəniyyə), in partnership with the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations and the Azerbaijan Ashigs Union.

In his speech, Chairman of the Culture That Unites Us Public Association Ramil Gasimov noted during the event that the concert was the first initiative within the organization's newly launched project titled "Our Musical Identity."

He pointed out that the project aims to shed light on the roots of Azerbaijani folk music, emphasize ashig art as an integral part of national identity, and present it more comprehensively to modern audiences, particularly to the younger generation.

Ramil Gasimov also noted that a series of events is planned within the framework of the project, adding that work is underway to organize "Epic Evenings". These programs will feature live performances, epic storytelling, musical accompaniment, and artistic presentation.

Chairperson of the Management Board of the State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations Aygun Aliyeva, stated that in recent years, the theme of return to Western Azerbaijan has become a priority in the agency's grant competitions. She emphasized that the issues arising from the "Concept of Return of Western Azerbaijanis", including peaceful return, are fundamental human rights.

In her speech, Aygun Aliyeva highly praised the Culture That Unites Us Public Association, which has been operating for about a year, for implementing a number of exemplary projects within a short period of time, and underlined that the agency will continue to support such professional and relevant initiatives.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan Ashigs Union, Maharram Gasimli spoke about the significant role of ashig art in shaping national and spiritual values.

He stressed the importance of preserving the rich heritage of the Western Azerbaijan Ashig tradition and passing it on to future generations. Gasimli also noted that in 2025, with the support of the State Support Agency for NGOs, the book titled "The Epic Repertoire of Western Azerbaijan Ashigs" was published.

The concert program featured various ashig melodies, folk tunes, and epic samples characteristic of the Western Azerbaijan Ashig tradition. Performances included "İrəvan çuxuru" (lyrics by Ashig Ali) performed by Nabi Naghiyev and Nazim Guliyev, "Baş sarıtel" (lyrics by Ashig Alasgar) performed by Ali Panahoglu; "Baş müxəmməs" performed by Fatulla Goychali, Aladdin Goychali, and Imran Khalilov; "Hüseyni" performed by Khanim Goychali; "Göyçə gözəlləməsi" (lyrics by Isa Korpulu) performed by Imrali Fikratoglu; "Göyçəgülü"(lyrics by Mushgul Musa) performed by Aladdin Goychali; "Çalpapaq" (lyrics by Iskandar Aghbabali) performed by Darya Mardanzade; and "Gəraylı" (lyrics by Algayit Khalilov) performed by Khanlar Algayit.

In addition, Ikhtiyar Hojayev, Leman Mirzayeva, Elmaddin Haji, and others presented outstanding examples of ashig art.