Mugham Center marks birthday of eminent mugham singer

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

International Mugham Center has organized a round table to mark the 180th anniversary of prominent mugham singer Bulbuljan.

The event was held at the initiative of  the director of the Mugham Center, People's Artist Murad Huseynov.

The round table discussed life and work of Bulbuljan, an eminent representative of the Karabakh mugham school.

Doctor of Philosophy in Philology, Bulbuljan heritage researcher Gulhuseyn Kazimly said that Abdulbagi Zulalov, known under the pseudonym Bulbuljan (1841–1927), was born in the city of Shusha. From 1875 to 1905 he lived and worked in Tiflis. In 1905, the singer returned to the city of Shusha and devoted himself to the education of his orphaned nephews Ali Zulalov and Gambar Zulalov, who later became outstanding opera singers. In 1920 he moved to Baku, where he taught at various musical educational institutions.

Honored Art Worker Agil Melikov noted that a number of outstanding Azerbaijani singers have grown up on the legacy of Bulbuljan. The Zulalov family continued the musical traditions of their ancestor. The daughter, granddaughter and nephews of Bulbuljan subsequently gained fame as figures in the art of mugham.

Honored Artist, tar musician Valeh Rahimov, described Bulbuljan as one of the mugham masters, standing at the origins of Azerbaijani mugham.

Furthermore,  professor Vilayat Guliyev made a presentation on the literary and cultural environment of the city of Shusha in the second half of the 19th century.

People's Artist, composer Sardar Farajov spoke about Uzeyir Hajibayli's artistic ties with Bulbuljan. Writer and publicist Mustafa Chemenli shared his thoughts on the work of the mugham singer.

At the end of the event, Bulbuljan's great-grandson Tarlan Zulalov, as well as Anar Hajizade (grandson of opera singer Ali Zulalov) expressed their gratitude to the leadership of the Mugham Center for organizing the event.

The round table was followed by a concert with participation of the Honored Artist Ilkin Ahmadov,  mugham singers Hussein Melikov, Vafa Vazirova, Nisbet Sadraeva and Rovshan Bashirov. The musicians  performed folk songs and mughams.

They were accompanied by  Rovshan Gurbanov (tar), Jeyhun Muradov (kamancha), Honored Artist Tarana Aliyeva (canon), Amil Mustafayev (naghara) and Rafael Askarov (balaban).

Notably, the  research work of the Mugham Center  is carried out within the framework of the "Unforgettable" and "Round Table" projects.

In March, the Mugham Center will organized a round table dedicated to  the outstanding mugham singer Jabbar Garyagdioghlu.