Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

An international festival of folk music aiming to popularize mugham in the present-day world will be held in Azerbaijan on March 11-19 with the government's support.

The "World of Mugham" 3rd International Music Festival is being co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Friends of Azerbaijani Culture Foundation, the Ministries of Culture and Tourism and Education, the Union of Composers and Azerbaijan National Conservatory.

The action plan of the music festival was approved by an order of Presidential Administration head Ramiz Mehdiyev on Tuesday. It outlines participation of Azerbaijani men of culture and science as well as young people in the events to be held as part of the festival, determining venues where the festival will take place, organization of opening and closing ceremonies, and preparation of various materials including programs, booklets and invitations.

Relevant agencies were instructed to facilitate the arrival of foreign participants of the festival in Azerbaijan, to address visa-related issues and equipping of conference rooms.

These agencies will also ensure international media coverage of the festival, organize concerts in the regions and solve transport-related matters.

Furthermore, the festival sets forth tasks such as gathering up-to-date information about the current state of the interrelated forms of the art of music, achieving development of historic ties among different contemporary ethnic and regional cultures, and providing an opportunity for the cooperation among the musicians who promote traditional music.

The music festival is open to both vocal and instrumental soloists with an upper age limit of 35 years. Required documents are to be submitted no later than February 15, 2013.

Azerbaijani Mugham heritage

Over the years, Azerbaijan's traditional folk music, mugham, has served as a source of inspiration for nearly all other types of music, including Western music such as modern classical, jazz, blues and rock. More and more, musicians composing in all styles and traditions are finding an inexhaustible source of inspiration in mugham.

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

The music of mugham attracts young and old people by its luscious and delightful sounds, which are pleasing ears.

Mugham began to enter world cultural heritage at the beginning of the last century.

UNESCO included "Azerbaijani music" record consisting of 50 albums into the collection of "Anthology of the world's traditional music" in 1971. The records of Azerbaijan's mugham were released again by UNESCO in the series "Musical sources" in 1975.

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

This pearl of Azerbaijani musical art, whose roots go far back into history, is frequently applied by singers and bands all over the world.