Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Organizers of the World Music Expo festival have included the performance of Azerbaijani mugham (folk music) singer Gochag Askarov to the well-known Taste of East CD, AzerTag state news agency reports.

World Music Expo is an international world music support and development project based in Berlin, whose main event is an exposition held annually in different locations throughout Europe.

Gochag Askarov experienced a colorful life that was however full of danger before becoming a famous mugham singer. He was born in 1978 in the Fizuli region, which is currently in the Armenia-occupied part of Azerbaijan. Gochag spent his childhood in that magnificently beautiful place with rich nature, which evokes talents in creative people.

Gochag started to sing while he was a child. Remembering those times, he says that he usually sang for his friends while shepherding in the meadows. Supporting his love for music, Gochag's parents sent him to a local music school.

However, a happy childhood came to an end in 1992 when Armenia launched a war against Azerbaijan. The war between the two South Caucasus republics displaced over a million Azerbaijanis. 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, has since been occupied by Armenia.

Gochag was one of the many Azerbaijani youths who volunteered to the battle and then he was only 15. In that war Gochag got an eye wound and lost his home.

When Armenian troops occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and neighboring regions in 1992-1993, Gochag's family as well as their fellow citizens had to leave their homes and property to wander from one region to another.

In 1998 they came to the capital Baku. Here Gochag started his life from the beginning, he tried to do any job to support his family, but he still was eager to study music.

Once he came to the Baku musical college and asked one of the music teachers to listen to his voice. At that moment, Gochag did not know that he had damaged his vocal cords in the war. The audition failed, but a year later he came back and the same teacher did not believe that it was the same person he considered unfit for singing just a year ago.

In 1998, Gochag managed to enter Baku musical college to the class of famous mugham singer, honorary Azerbaijani artist Zabit Nabizadeh and graduated from the college in 2001.

In 2004 Gochag continued his musical education in Baku National Conservatory, where in addition to singing he was taught the theory and history of music and social sciences in the class of another great Azerbaijani mugham singer, Arif Babayev.

Askarov's international debut and first solo concert took place on February 15, 2007 at the stage of London Brunei Gallery Theatre. Diz Heller, Assistant Art Director at ARC Music Productions Int. Ltd., after the concert made an acquaintance with Gochag. Heller decided to release a solo disc of the young unknown Azerbaijani singer. Around the same time Gochag was invited to the BBC radio program "World Routes".

At the program Askarov's voice impressed experienced radio journalists so much that they came to Azerbaijan to study and prepare some programs about Azerbaijani music.

Gochag's strong voice of a beautiful timbre and a rare three-octave range were an actual guide in his life, shaping his biography.

At present Askarov is at the forefront of the generation of modern Azerbaijani mugham singers. This position can only be achieved through immense dedication to the art. It requires not only a thorough knowledge of the vast repertoire of epic poetry and popular stories that have been verbally passed on from one generation to another, but also improvisation ability, a skill which is an integral part of this living tradition.

Accompanied by his brilliant ensemble featuring tar, kemancha, balaban and naqara musical intruments, his concerts are fascinating and uplifting manifestations of musical dexterity and the soul of Azerbaijani culture.

Azerbaijan's traditional folk music, mugham, started to enter world culture at the beginning of the last century.

In 2003, UNESCO recognized mugham as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Vocal-instrumental varieties of such compositions are performed by a group of musicians, consisting of a singer - khanende, playing on gaval (percussion instrument), and stringed musical instruments tar and kemancha.

The music of mugham attracts young and old people alike by its luscious and delightful sounds.

The mugham, whose roots go far back into history, is regarded as a pearl of Azerbaijani musical art and is frequently applied music among singers and bands all over the world.