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Laman Ismayilova

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The people of Azerbaijan pay tribute to People's Artist Bahram Mansurov, an outstanding tar player, mugham master, AzerNEWS reports.

Born on February 12, 1911, in the heart of Baku's historic Icherisheher (Old City), Mansurov grew up in a household steeped in music, where the rich traditions of Azerbaijani melody and performance were a constant presence.

His grandfather, the musicologist Meshadi Malik Bay, organized music evenings where mugham masters, singers, and musicians from across the country would gather. Eminent figures such as Seyid Azim Shirvani, Khurshidbanu Natavan, and Abdurrahim Bey Hagverdiyev attended these gatherings, shaping the young Mansurov's early exposure to the nation's musical heritage.

Surrounded by traditional instruments, Bahram would spend hours experimenting, guided by the family's rich musical tradition. His father, Meshadi Suleyman Bay, and uncle, Mirza Mansur, were both accomplished tar players, and his grandfather was among the first promoters of Azerbaijani national music. It was clear early on that mugham ran in his blood.

Bahram Mansurov's formal education began at a madrasa and later at a Russian-Tatar school. By 1921, after Azerbaijan became Soviet, he enrolled in the 10th First Grade School with his older brother, Agha Malik, marking the beginning of a lifelong journey in music.

Despite frequent school changes due to the family's semi-urban lifestyle, Mansurov pursued his passion relentlessly. By 19, he was invited by the composer Muslum Magomayev to join the first notated folk instrument orchestra and later became a soloist-tar player at the Opera and Ballet Theater, performing alongside legendary vocalists such as Huseyngulu Sarabski, Yaver Kelenterli, Hajiaga Hajibababayev, Alovsat Sadigov, Haqiqet Rzayeva, Rubaba Muradova, Sara Gadimova and Zeynab Khanlarova.

From 1978 to 1983, his performances of Azerbaijani mugham were recorded and disseminated worldwide via UNESCO, cementing his role as a cultural ambassador of Azerbaijan.

Even as a child, Bahram displayed extraordinary talent. By the age of twelve or thirteen, he could perform complex mugham compositions such as Rast, Chahargah, Bayati-Shiraz, and Qatar as a soloist. In 1929, he joined the Azerbaijan State Eastern Orchestra, and later the State Philharmonic, performing alongside distinguished musicians including Jabbar Garyagdioglu, Khan Shushinski, Hajiaga Hajibababayev, and Gurban Pirimov.

He toured throughout Azerbaijan and across the Soviet Union, bringing traditional music to a wide audience. By 1931, at the age of 20, he joined the newly established first notated folk instrument orchestra under Magomayev's guidance and later became the lead tar player at the Radio Committee, performing both as a soloist and as part of a trio with Gilman Salahov (kamancha) and Khalig Babayev (qaval), often broadcast live on the radio.

Bahram Mansurov's career was closely intertwined with the Opera and Ballet Theater. Inspired by witnessing performances of "Leyli and Majnun" at the age of eleven, he joined the theater in 1932 under the direction of Muslum Magomayev, accompanying the legendary Huseyngulu Sarabski in the role of Majnun.

For 54 years, Mansurov's tar accompanied the nation's leading vocalists in mugham operas, his artistry meticulously guided by the composers themselves, including Uzeyir Hajibayli.

His influence extended beyond the concert hall. In 1934–35, he led a military ensemble at the Azerbaijan Military Division and prepared the group for the Transcaucasian Music Olympiad in Tbilisi, earning national recognition.

During the Great Patriotic War, Mansurov performed tirelessly for soldiers at the front and in hospitals, traveling across Azerbaijan and beyond to lift spirits with the power of music. His 1941–44 tours in Iran brought Azerbaijani opera and mugham to audiences who had previously known him only through radio broadcasts, solidifying his international reputation.

In 1941, Mansurov began teaching mugham at the Baku Music Technical School, developing his own pedagogical method grounded in the traditions of his father and uncle. He emphasized both technical mastery and the historical and cultural context of each mugham, ensuring that his students not only performed music but understood its roots and essence.

Mansurov's contributions to recording and preserving Azerbaijani mugham were groundbreaking. He was the first Azerbaijani musician whose renditions of Chahargah and Rast were transcribed into musical notation. Through UNESCO, his performances of Bayati-Shiraz, Humayun, Shur, Bayati-Kurd, and Chahargah were recorded on vinyl and CD, introducing the world to Azerbaijan's musical heritage. His son, Eldar Mansurov, transcribed the full repertoire of mugham, dastgahs, and other traditional forms that his father performed.

In 1971, the Opera and Ballet Theater celebrated Bahram Mansurov's 60th birthday and 40 years of artistic work with a gala evening featuring performances of all the mugham operas he had accompanied. That same year, the documentary film "Chalir Bahram Mansurov" paid tribute to his extraordinary talent and enduring influence.

As a consultant for radio and television programs, as a jury member in competitions, and as a mentor to generations of musicians, Bahram Mansurov ensured that mugham remained alive and vibrant. His unique tar technique, known as mizrabi-destkari, involved playing with the left hand only, without a pick, a method previously employed only by masters such as Sadigjan, Meshadi Suleyman, and Mirza Mansur. Mansurov was the only performer of this technique in his generation.

Bahram Mansurov passed away on May 14, 1985, in Baku at the age of 74, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire musicians worldwide. His personal archive, meticulously preserved by his wife Munevver Khanum, remains a vital resource for musicologists, while his sons—Eldar, Aydin, and Elkhan- have carried forward the family's musical tradition, ensuring that the Mansurov name continues to shine in Azerbaijani music.

Today, in celebrating the life of tar virtuoso and mugham master Bahram Mansurov, his music continues to resonate, bridging the past and present while guiding the next generation of artists.