Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Awards ceremony and a gala concert of the second international festival and contest of young performers of the Islamic world were held Friday at the Uzeyir Hajibeyov Baku Music Academy.

The festival was held in the Azerbaijani capital Baku on April 23-26 and brought together over 40 participants from nine countries.

The contest was organized with the support of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Azerbaijan's Youth and Sports Ministry, the Baku Music Academy and the Youth Center Kainat.

Speaking at the event, Azerbaijani Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Intigam Babayev said that "music is a bridge between the peoples irrespective of their nationality, religion and language".

Babayev stressed the role of First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and goodwill ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, in delivering Azerbaijani culture and music to the world.

Azerbaijan's Deputy Education Minister and representative to ISESCO Gulu Novruzov emphasized the importance of the festival in bringing the youth closer.

Head of the Youth Center Kainat Rahib Rasulzade and chairperson of the international jury panel Narmina Guliyeva also addressed the event.

The contest was held in two age groups, with the younger group including performers aged under 15 and the senior group with performers aged 15-20.

In the senior group, Azerbaijani performers Firangiz Abdullayeva and Zuleykha Usubova sealed a win, while Guzel Bayzakova (Uzbekistan) and Nigar Gahramanova (Azerbaijan) ranked second, and Yusif Yusifli, Kamil Hasanov and Rahib Isgandarov (duet from Azerbaijan) came third.

In the younger group Orkhan Huseynov and Rashid Behbudov (Azerbaijan) won, while Kamilla Nurmatova (Uzbekistan) and Leyla Zeynalova (Azerbaijan) ranked second and Elena Abdullayeva (Russia's republic of Dagestan) and Diana Amanbayeva (Uzbekistan) took third place.

Azerbaijani performer Elgun Agazade gained the Grand-Prix. The other three performers were awarded special prizes of the Baku Music Academy.

The Egyptian Cultural Center presented gifts to the organizing committee members.

Young people from Egypt, Turkey, the Russian Republic of Dagestan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait and Morocco had come to Azerbaijan to demonstrate their skills.

The contest aims to uncover new talents, exchange international experience and ideas, portray the Azerbaijani culture and arts for teenagers and youth from all over the world, and intensify dialogue between performers from the East and the West.

The first International Festival-Contest of young Islamic classic music performers was held in Baku on April 27-28, 2012 and joined by representatives from 28 countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the Russian republic of Tatarstan.