Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Israel will host a series of concerts to pay tribute to the legendary Azerbaijani singer Muslim Magamayev.

Israeli media reports say, pieces of repertoire of Muslim Magomayev would be performed in the concerts. Meanwhile, rare footage of the singer would be shown.

Israeli opera's soloists like Anastasia Klevan, Galina Malinskaya, Aleksey Kanunnikov, Jakov Strizhak, piano men Aleksandr Ivanov, Marina Findel and host Inna Sheyhatovich will perform in the events.

Israeli cities Bat Yam, Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Ariel, Rishon LeZion, Petah Tikva, Beersheba and Ashdod will host the concerts till February 8.

Prominent Azerbaijani opera and pop singer Muslim Magomayev also known as the "King of Songs" and the "Soviet Sinatra, was born on August 17, 1942, in Baku. Being a grandson of a renowned composer in Azerbaijan, young Magomayev followed his father's footsteps by pursuing a music career: He studied singing and piano at the Baku Conservatory of Music.

He shot to fame in the USSR at the age of 19, after a stellar performance at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, and then, he became known in Europe after a successful performance at the Youth Festival in Helsinki, Finland. Moreover, he appeared in the famous Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in the Russian capital for his first recital.

During the mid-1960s, Magomayev made a very important progress in perfecting his vocals skills: He took further training in the La Scala Opera Theater in Milan.

His studied in Italy, the country of innumerable art treasures, the "Home" of Bel canto, were highly beneficial for his singing and also affected his inner world. Magomayev remained among the main supporter of the Italian school of singing through his life. His love for great singers such as Beniamino Gigli, Gino Bechi, Tito Gobbi, 'Mario del Monaco' and Enrico Caruso was the driving motivation behind his studies of opera art.

Magomayev himself splendidly sang the leading arias of Figaro, Scarpia, Mephisto, Onegin. However, his success in popular music interfered with his opera career. It was very similar to what happened to his favorite singer, Mario Lanza, about whom he wrote that Hollywood "stole" Mario Lanza from the opera stage.

Magomayev won the International Song Competition in Sopot, Poland and also won the first "Golden Disc" at the Cannes Music Festival with 4.5 million of his records sold that year in 1969. At age of 30, Magomayev was one of the youngest recipients of the highest artistic title, People's Artist of the USSR. He also received numerous awards for his contribution to opera and popular music in the Soviet Union.

Magomayev died of a heart failure in Moscow on October 25, 2008 and was laid to rest in Baku.