Azerbaijani ashiqs to share their skills with young talents

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Association of Azerbajan Ashiqs has launched a new project aimed at supporting young talents who are eager to master ashiq art. 

The project reveals all the secrets of ashiq art. Seven CDs that feature ashiq music will be also relased as part of the project. 

The first music album will focus on studying of such compositions  as " Shirvan Gozellemesi", "Dubeyti" and "Shahseveni"  performed by Honored Cultural Worker  Agamurad Shirvani, PhD in Philology of Altai Mammadli and Galandar Zeynalov.

The music aldbums will also feature compositions of such eminent ashiqs as Panah Panahov, Akbar Jafarov, Shakir Hajiyev, Kamandar Efendiyev, Mamedagha Babayev and Isfandiyar Rustamov.

The art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs combines poetry, storytelling, dance and vocal and instrumental music into a traditional performance art.

Ashiq is frequently accompanied by traditional stringed musical instrument saz. The classical repertoire of ashiqs includes 200 songs, 150 literary-musical compositions known as dastans, nearly 2,000 poems in different traditional poetic forms and numerous stories.

Since 2009 the art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.