TODAY.AZ / Arts & Entertainment

Second International Ashiq Festival due in Baku

24 October 2014 [09:58] - TODAY.AZ

/AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

The second International Ashiq Festival will be held in Azerbaijan on November 10-18.

To be co-organized by Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Culture and Tourism Ministry Ashiqs Association, the festival is aimed to promote the art of Azerbaijani Ashiq in the world, to increase the role of Ashiq in the development of the national culture and to bring together performers of Ashiq music throughout the world.

Some outstanding performers from Turkey, Iran, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Russia as well as all regions of Azerbaijan will give splendid concerts.

The festival will be held in Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre on November 12. During the period of November 13-17 Azerbaijani regions including Yevlakh, Gadabay, Shamkir, Qazakh, Tovuz and Ujar will host the grandiose event.

The first International Ashiq Festival was held in Azerbaijan in 2010 attracting lots of attentions.

The art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs was included in the UNESCO`s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, as a symbol of national cultural identity that embodies various artistic spheres practiced by poets, composers, singers or actor-narrators, thus uniting in one artistic expression the communities of the entire country.

The art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs combines poetry, storytelling, dance and vocal and instrumental music into a traditional performance art that is a symbol of Azerbaijani culture. Characterized by the accompaniment of the saz, a stringed musical instrument, the classical repertoire includes 200 songs, 150 literary-musical compositions known as dastans, nearly 2,000 poems in different traditional poetic forms and numerous stories.

The regional variations may include other musical instruments, but all are united by a common national language and artistic history. Ashiqs take part in weddings, friendly parties and festive events throughout the Caucasus and appear on concert stages, radio and television, sometimes synthesizing classical melodies with contemporary ones as they continue to recreate their repertoire.

Their art is considered a symbol of national identity and the guardian of Azerbaijani language, literature and music. Ashiqs also help to promote cultural exchange and dialogue.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/entertainment/137182.html

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