Young Baku-born singer performs in London
By Nigar Orujova
A concert of Azerbaijani folk music performers was held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, in the frame of the BBC Radio 3 World Routes Academy on August 22.
Fidan Hajiyeva, an 18-year-old Baku-born London resident, performed alongside her mentor, famous Azerbaijani singer Gochaq Askarov, bbc.co.uk reported.
This year BBC Radio 3's World Routes Academy turns to Azerbaijan, after working with musicians from Iraq, southern India, and Colombia.
The London concert is a joint initiative of the Royal Albert Hall, BBC 3 and UNESCO expert and musicologist Sanubar Bagirova. The concert was the second joint concert of Askarov and Hajiyeva in London.
The concert also featured the first public performance of the newly created Trio Da Kali, musicians from the Mande culture of southern Mali, and the central Malian singer/ngoni (lute) player Bassekou Kouyate with his band Ngoni Ba -- two celebrated groups fusing traditional and popular styles.
In July, a 60-minute program on Azerbaijani mugham was broadcasted on BBC Radio 3, informing the audience about Azerbaijan`s history, geographic location and culture.
In January 2013 Hajiyeva became the youngest member of the World Routes Academy. She was learning the ancient style of Azerbaijani mugham, working closely with Askarov, in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, where she listens to performances of the country's well-known performers.
Azerbaijan's traditional folk music, mugham, began to enter world cultural heritage at the beginning of the last century.
In 2003, UNESCO recognized mugham as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The mugham, whose roots go far back into history, is a pearl of Azerbaijani musical art and is frequently applied music among singers and bands all over the world.
Launched in 2010, the BBC Radio 3 World Routes Academy aims to support and inspire young world music artists by bringing them together with an internationally renowned artist working in the same field and belonging to the same tradition.
In 2009, the World Routes team, led by broadcaster and academic Lucy Duran, recorded and broadcast two special programs from Azerbaijan, exploring the musical traditions around the country.
Since then, recordings of Azerbaijani mugham and ashiq music have been regularly featured on the program, particularly focusing on the performances of mugham singer Gochag Askarov.