Israel’s Afula pays tribute to Azerbaijani music icons Uzeyir Hajibayli, Muslim Magomayev

An event was held in Afula, Israel, to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the birth of two prominent Azerbaijani cultural figures: Uzeyir Hajibayli, the founder of the Azerbaijani composer’s school, musicologist, composer, and scholar, and the renowned composer and conductor Muslim Magomayev.

The celebration, co-organized with the support of the Azerbaijan Culture Centre and the Absorption Department of the Afula Municipality, took place at the Azerbaijani Culture Centre in the city, Caliber.Az reports per Azerbaijan's State Committee for work with Diaspora.

The evening kicked off with an introduction to mugham, one of Azerbaijan’s oldest and most cherished musical genres. World-renowned Russian musicologist and artistic director of the "Russian Patterns" Moscow Region Philharmonic State Academic Orchestra, Ilya Yakovlevich Reybarkh, delivered a two-hour lecture on the significance of mugham in Azerbaijani culture. Reybarkh emphasized that mugham forms the foundation of Azerbaijani national music, including the country's operatic traditions, and is a key spiritual and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people.

The lecture was complemented by a presentation of iconic mugham performances by Azerbaijani khanandas (singers), who played pivotal roles in the genre's development.

Reybarkh also highlighted the immense contributions of Uzeyir Hajibayli and Muslim Magomayev to the evolution of Azerbaijani music. His speech touched on the achievements of other Azerbaijani composers such as Gara Garayev, Fikrat Amirov, Arif Malikov, and Niyazi, whose works have graced world stages for decades. He also paid tribute to the legacy of Muslim Magomayev’s grandson, the celebrated vocalist and People’s Artist of Azerbaijan and the USSR, Muslim Magomayev.

The evening featured musical excerpts from some of Azerbaijan’s most cherished works, including "Leyli and Majnun," "Path of Thunder," "One Thousand and One Nights," and "Legend of Love," as well as an overture from the opera "Koroghlu." These performances demonstrated the richness and depth of classical Azerbaijani music, showcasing the lasting impact of Hajibayli and Magomayev’s contributions to the global music scene.

The event in Afula not only celebrated the anniversaries of these legendary figures but also served as a reminder of the enduring legacy of Azerbaijani music on the world stage.

By Vafa Guliyeva