Music of the Ashigs from Azerbaijan at The Sage

Reviewed by Hedd Thomas

“Oh, how very ethnic,” reacted a gentleman when I told him of this concert I'd be attending. If by “ethnic” he was referring to the 14th Century origins of the music and poetry then he was right; if, however, he was expecting something simple in both its music and its following then eyeing the smart suits and ties of the performers even before hearing their enticing sounds would confirm that this is a high art form indeed.

The evening was the result of a partnership between the Pakistan Cultural Society based here in Newcastle and the Asian Music Circuit, London. They aimed to showcase two musical traditions of Azerbaijan. The first was the art of the ashig, literally “falling in love” - bardic musicians who sing everything from epic songs and sagas to serenades and ballads. They accompany themselves on the eight- or ten-stringed plucked saz. The second was the mugham, the indigenous modal classical music of Azerbaijan. Characterised by a large degree of improvisation, mughams feature a singer accompanied by two instrumentalists playing tar (long-necked lute) and kamancha (spike-fiddle). Seven musicians were due to perform, many with international reputations.

There is something very satisfying about watching a performer make seemingly impossible music look easy. The fingers of Azer Maharramov danced from one saz fret to another with ease, showing off his instrument's capabilities while contentedly smiling to himself throughout; Ramin Qarayev's huge melismas flowed out with no trouble at all. The bright, cheerful songs of Qalandar Zeynalov proved why he's one of the most popular ashigs in Azerbaijan; and while Aytekin Akbarova's saz skills weren't quite as equal as her male counterparts her main talent as an author and performer of poems shone, portraying the story with much conviction. Some, like Akbarova, sung outwardly to the audience, about half of which were members of the local Arezi-Turkish-Iranian community, while Zeyalov was singing up close to his saz and others like Maharramov sung with his eyes closed, lost in his own world. If it weren't for the disappointing lay out in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall and the cold lighting this could have been a very intimate first half indeed.

Elshan Mansurov started the second half with a kamancha solo. A recent graduate from one of Azerbaijan's conservatoires, his inexperience showed at times by the look of concentration focused on his fingers. What he lacked in expression, however, was more than made up for in his great tone and phrasing. The following song, translated as “Blonde Bride,” is a favourite amongst Azeris and gave the soloist Gochaq Askarov the perfect opportunity to demonstrates his strong but unforced high-pitched voice with an incredibly melancholic melody. The wailing melismas in the second mugham presented him with equally good chances to prove his skill. It was the very experienced tar player Malik Mansurov, however, that was the highlight of the half. A teacher at Azerbaijan's top conservatoires, he is a virtuoso when it comes to technique, playing with lots of dynamic variation, darting fingers and great attention to detail; he played with such feeling that he succeeded in telling the story more effectively then even the singer himself.

“It's great music and it's really good to hear my mother tongue,” said one Azeri member of the audience who grew up in Iran and now lives in Newcastle, “I only get to hear Azeri these days when I'm on the phone to my mum!” This summed up the evening. It was great music for those familiar with it and fascinating for those less so; and although every performer was a good musician in their own right it was their love for the music and the passion with which they delivered it that made the concert so worthwhile.

4/5

For more information about the Pakistan Cultural Society and to check out their future concerts, go to: www.pakistanculturalsociety.co.uk

For more information about the Asian Music Circuit and to check out their future concerts, go to: www.amc.org.uk