Art of Azerbaijani ashiqs

Art of Azerbaijani ashiqs
Azerbaijani Ashiq music
Stylistic origins World music
Cultural origins ca. 15th – 16th century
Typical instruments Azerbaijani saz
Mainstream popularity Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia
Subgenres
Qoshma, Muhammas, Ustadname, Gifilband
Regional scenes
Ozan music

The art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs combines poetry, storytelling, dance and vocal and instrumental music into a traditional performance art. This art is one of the symbols of Azerbaijani culture and considered an emblem of national identity and the guardian of Azerbaijani language, literature and music.

Characterized by the accompaniment of the kopuz, a stringed musical instrument, the classical repertoire of Azerbaijani Ashiqs includes 200 songs, 150 literary-musical compositions known as dastans, nearly 2,000 poems and numerous stories.

Since 2009 the art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Contents

Etymology

In today's encyclopedic dictionaries the word Ashiq, which means love, is derived from the Arabic and Persian. Some encyclopedias define Ashiq as a folk singer-poet of Caucasus and neighboring nations. In addition to songs of his own, in repertory Ashiq includes epic tales and folk songs.[1]

History

Early origins

The earliest traces of art of Azerbaijani ashiqs can be found in the 7th century Book of Dede Korkut, which contains the most famous epic stories of the Oghuz Turks.[2][3]

From the 16th century, Azerbaijani ashiqs have been the bearers and guardians of the national language, national identity and the music performed in weddings, parties and folk festivals.[4] During the 20th century, ashiq performances on concert stages, the radio and television became common.

Period of the Iron Curtain (1930–1991)

Beginning in the 1930s, the Art of Azerbaijani ashiqs, like all folk music culture of the peoples of the USSR fell under the strictest control of the state government, and thus experienced one of its worst times.[5][6] For many years, the Soviet government blocked access to the Azerbaijani national music from the international arena. Soviet propaganda often considered ashiq art and mugham as primitive art, which, failed, however, to reduce the interest of most of the educated to this oral musical tradition.[7]

Modern history and worldwide acceptance (1991–present)

Ashig Alasgar is one of the most highly regarded poet of Azeri folk songs

In modern Azerbaijan, professional Ashiqs were divided into two categories: Ashiq-performers and Ashiq-poets. Ashiq-performers, despite being professional storytellers, are not engaged in poetry. Due to their individual abilities and a keen understanding of the specifics of the native folklore, they make different kinds of variations and changes in their epics and legends, especially in their prose.[8]

Ashiq-poets, on the contrary, along with storytelling activities, engaged also in poetry. In Azerbaijan, such Ashiqs were called Ustad, which translates from Persian as a "master". Ashiq-poets have their own schools, where they teach their students the basics of ashiq creativity. Famous Ashiq-poets include such gifted poets as Gurbani, ashiq Abbas from Tufargan, Xəstə Qasım (Hasta Gasym), ashiq Valeh, Ashig Alasgar and many others. They had a tremendous impact not only on ashig poetry, but also greatly influenced the written literature of Azerbaijan.[9]

The popular ashigs of modern Azerbaijan include Zalimkhan Yagub, the member of parliament of Azerbaijan, ashiq Zulfiyya, ashiq Ahliman, ashiq Adalat, ashiq Kamandar, Ali Tovuzly and ashiq Khanlar.[8]

After Azerbaijan's independence from the USSR, Art of Azerbaijani ashiqs engaged in the worldwide promotion campaign of Culture of Azerbaijan. The art also received heavy state support, which organized tours for ashiqs around the world.

As of 2009, the total number of Azerbaijani Ashiqs in the world is 3000 people and included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.[4][10]

Delivery

Azerbailani ashiqs in Baku

In Azerbaijan, ashigs' style of performance differ in the specific characteristics of local creativity. For example, each ashig representing the regions of Ganja, Kalbajar , Gazakh, Tovuz and Borchali markedly differ in their individual skill and cherish traditional ashig art.[11] Often performances of ashigs are accompanied by a balaban performer and an ensemble of wind instruments, but the main musical instrument of ashigs is considered to be Azerbaijani saz.[12] The creative abilities of ashigs differ to the following:

  • Usta-Ashiqs. Poet of the people "Usta ashough (Ashiq-master) – writes the epics, poems, creating songs, sings and plays for the saz and their performance is accompanied by dance movements.
  • Ashiq-instrumentalist. This role includes spreading the art of famous Ashiqs, singing and playing the saz, and sometimes dancing.
  • Ashiq-narrators are sometimes performed solo, or are accompanied by the saz or the duduk player who, while dancing, moves next to him.

Genres of Azerbaijani Ashiq music

The main genres of Azerbaijani Ashiq poetry include goshma, dastan, ustadnameh, as well as their poetic forms — gerayli, divani, tajnis.[9]

Goshma

Goshma is the most common form of Ashiq folk poetry. The number of syllables in goshma can reach eleven. Goshma itself are also divided into several subgenres such as Gozallama — a form which describes the natural beauty and praises the remarkable properties of human speech, Kochaklama — the form in which the glorification of heroic deeds or the heroes occurs, Tashlama — genre which criticizes social or human vices, and Agyt — the memorial chant.[13]

Dastan

Dastan (Persian: داستان "story"[14][15]) is a genre, known not only in Eastern poetry, but also in Western poetry (including traditional folk poetry). In dastans, ashiqs narrates heroic deeds, love stories or important historical events. Stylistic and syllabic relationships are in many ways reminiscent of the goshma genre, but differ from the last number of quatrains, subject, meaning and theme music.[16][17]

Ustadnameh

Traditional themes in this genre consist of songs and teachings with moralistic themes.[17][18]

References

  1. ^ "АШУГ". ubrus.org. http://www.ubrus.org/dictionary-units/?id=46247. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  2. ^ "Mother-of-All-Books". Azerbaijan International Magazine. http://azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/63_folder/63_articles/63_dadagorgud.html. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  3. ^ Peart, Ian. "Nemet Qasimli – A Bard in Baku". http://www.visions.az/art,23/. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  4. ^ a b "The Art of Azerbaijani Ashiq". tourism-review.com. http://www.tourism-review.com/travel-tourism-magazine-azerbaijan-the-ashiq-art-article1360. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  5. ^ "Hamı əlinə saz götürüb çıxıb meydana...". http://www.ekspress.az/2010/11/06/get=25421. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  6. ^ "SOVET AZƏRBAYCANININ ÇİÇƏKLƏNƏN İNCƏSƏNƏTİ". http://uzeyir.musigi-dunya.az/az/article27.html. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  7. ^ "ИСТОРИЯ АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНА". http://www.azeri.ws/history/new.shtml. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  8. ^ a b "MUSİQİ". http://www.azmaison.fr/cgi-bin/maison/index.cgi?language=2;section=4;section2=5. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  9. ^ a b "The Ashig Folk Art". Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan. http://www.tourism.az/?menu=5&submenu=47&lang=eng. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  10. ^ "The art of Azerbaijani Ashiq". List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?RL=00253. Retrieved 3 January 2011. 
  11. ^ "AZƏRBAYCAN MUSİQİSİ". http://www.azerbaijan.az/portal/Culture/Music/music_02_a.html. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  12. ^ "Aşıq sənəti". http://azercemiyyet.com/tr/post/2010/05/08/Asc4b1q-sc999nc999ti.aspx. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  13. ^ "Формы ашугского творчества". REPUBLIC OF TURKEY MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM. http://www.kultur.gov.tr/RU/belge/5-2421/2421.html. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  14. ^ Steingass, Francis Joseph. A Comprehensive Persian-English dictionary, including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in Persian literature. London: Routledge & K. Paul, 1892. [1]
  15. ^ Russell, R., 1993. The Pursuit of Urdu Literature: A Select History. Palgrave Macmillan, Original from the University of Michigan. P. 85. ISBN 1856490297, ISBN 9781856490290
  16. ^ "Azərbaycan Aşıqlar Birliyinin sədri, aşıq-şair Qaracan İsa oğlu Kərimli (Borçalı)". http://www.aab.az/index_eng.php. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  17. ^ a b Mammadov, Tariyel. "DASTAN YARADICILIĞI". http://e-library.musigi-dunya.az/page38.html. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  18. ^ Qaliboghlu, Elchin. "Aşıq Ağaların poeziyası". http://www.anl.az/down/meqale/xalqcebhesi/xalqcebhesi_noyabr2009/95287.htm. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Azerbaijani people — Infobox Ethnic group group = Azerbaijanis Azərbaycanlılar, Azərilər آذربایجانلیلار ,آذریلر population = approx. 20.5 to 33 million region1 = flagcountry|Iran pop1 = 12 to 20.1 million ref1 = lower| [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the… …   Wikipedia

  • Aserbaidschanische Ashiqs-Kunst — Aserbaidschanische Ashiqs in Baku Die Kunst von aserbaidschanischem Ashiqs verbindet Dichtung, Erzählkunst, Tanz und stimmliche und instrumentale Musik in eine traditionelle Leistungskunst, die als ein Symbol der aserbaidschanischen Kultur gilt.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Azerbaijan — This article is about the country in Eurasia. For other uses, see Azerbaijan (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • Aşık — Aserbaidschanische aşıklar in Baku Aşık (türkisch, Plural aşıklar, aserbaidschanisch aşıq, aşyg, ashyq, auch aschug, ozan, nach arabisch ‏عاشق ‎, DMG ʿĀšiq …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Culture of Azerbaijan — Part of a series on Azerbaijani people Culture Architecture  …   Wikipedia

  • Music of Azerbaijan — Part of a series on Azerbaijani people Culture Architecture  …   Wikipedia

  • Azeris — Azéris  Cet article concerne le peuple azéri. Pour la langue azérie, voir Azéri. Azéris Azərbaycanlılar آذربایجانلیلار Azərbaycan Türkləri /آذربایجان تورک لری …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Azéri (Peuple) — Azéris  Cet article concerne le peuple azéri. Pour la langue azérie, voir Azéri. Azéris Azərbaycanlılar آذربایجانلیلار Azərbaycan Türkləri /آذربایجان تورک لری …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Azéri (peuple) — Azéris  Cet article concerne le peuple azéri. Pour la langue azérie, voir Azéri. Azéris Azərbaycanlılar آذربایجانلیلار Azərbaycan Türkləri /آذربایجان تورک لری …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Azéris — Cet article concerne le peuple azéri. Pour la langue azérie, voir Azéri. Azéris Azərbaycanlılar آذربایجانلیلار Azərbaycan Türkləri /آذربایجان تورک لری Danseuses folkloriques azéries …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”