INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL OPENS IN BAKU - PHOTOS

The opening ceremony of the International Jazz Festival took place here Saturday. The Festival is organized by the Azeri Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Azerbaijan Culture Foundation and Sweet Production.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Garayev emphasized that much progress has been achieved in Azerbaijan to popularize and promote jazz.

Azeri jazz is a sultry combination of Azerbaijani mugham and traditional American jazz. The style reached a peak of its fame in the 1950s and 1960s under the influence of composer Rafig Babayev and his Gaya quartet and of course, great Azeri jazz pianist and composer Vagif Mustafazadeh. These sounds gave Azerbaijani music its identity within the jazz genre.
This year in accordance with a decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the 70th birthday of Vagif Mustafazadeh will be celebrated.

The Second International Jazz Festival will bring together jazz musicians from Azerbaijan and a wide range of foreign countries. The performers will reportedly include Matt Bianco, Al di Meola, Keiko Matsui, Monty Alexander, Vijay Iyer Trio, Shakatak and many more.

The festival will last until October 30.


/AzerTAc/


Click to enlarge: