Azerbaijani Embassy Pays Homage to National Leader with Traditional Karabakh Concert
Photo: Embassy of Azerbaijan
By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS
Azerbaijani Ambassador to Mexico Mammad Talibov and his wife Kamala Talibova were the hosts Friday, Nov. 3, of a magna concert of traditional Azeri mugham music at the Blas Galindo Auditorium of the National Center for the Arts (Cenart).
The concert was presented in Mexico to commemorate the 100th birthday anniversary of that Caspian nation’s national leader, Heydar Aliyev.
The four-member Karabakh orchestra — all descendants of the recently liberated Karabakh segment of Azerbaijan that was occupied by Armenia in blatant violation of international law for nearly three decades — included a sampling of Mugham, or mughamat, an ancient and haunting musical genre that expresses complex ideas, emotional meaning, deep and comprehensive thinking and artistic excitement.
In Azerbaijan, mugham is usually performed by a khananda mugham singer, accompanied by a dastgah trio of artists using a long-necked lute called a tar, a framed goat-skin drum called a gaval, and a four-string kamancha guitar, all of which originated in Shusha, the main cultural capital of the country, which was nearly destroyed during the occupation.
Before the concert, Talibov explained that 2023 was declared the Year of Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan, and that the concert was an opportunity for his people to “reflect, express gratitude and celebrate a man whose legacy endures in the heart of our nation.”
Talibov went on to say that when Azerbaijan was in its worst political and economic crisis, Aliyev led his nation to peace and stability.