Art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs
Encyclopedia
The art of Azerbaijan
i 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 dastan
s, 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
.
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.
, which contains the most famous epic stories of the Oghuz Turks
.
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 festival
s. During the 20th century, ashiq performances on concert stages, the radio and television became common.
as primitive art, which, failed, however, to reduce the interest of most of the educated to this oral musical tradition.
, 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.
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
.
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.
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.
, Kalbajar
, Gazakh, Tovuz
and Borchali
markedly differ in their individual skill and cherish traditional ashig art. 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
. The creative abilities of ashigs differ to the following:
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
i Ashiqs
Ashik
An Ashik is a mystic troubadour or traveling bard, in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran who sings and plays the saz, a form of lute. Ashiks' songs are semi-improvised around common bases....
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
Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani or Azeri or Torki is a language belonging to the Turkic language family, spoken in southwestern Asia by the Azerbaijani people, primarily in Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran...
, literature
Azerbaijani literature
Azerbaijani literature refers to the literature written in Azerbaijani, which currently is the official state language of the Republic of Azerbaijan and is widely spoken in northwestern Iran and eastern Turkey...
and music
Music of Azerbaijan
Music of Azerbaijan builds on folk traditions that reach back nearly 1,000 years. For centuries Azerbaijani music has evolved under the badge of monody, producing rhythmically diverse melodies. Azerbaijani music has a branchy mode system, where chromatisation of major and minor scales is of great...
.
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 dastan
Dastan
The Dastan , is an ornate form of oral history from Central Asia, the most famous of which is Dede Korkut - which may have been created as early as the beginning of the 13th century....
s, 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
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
The Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage are established by UNESCO aiming to ensure the better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance...
.
Etymology
In today's encyclopedic dictionaries the word Ashiq, which means love, is derived from the ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. Some encyclopedias define Ashiq as a folk singer-poet of Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and neighboring nations. In addition to songs of his own, in repertory Ashiq includes epic tales and folk songs.
Early origins
The earliest traces of art of Azerbaijani ashiqs can be found in the 7th century Book of Dede KorkutBook of Dede Korkut
The Book of Dede Korkut, also spelled as Dada Gorgud, Dede Qorqut or Korkut-ata , is the most famous epic stories of the Oghuz Turks The stories carry morals and values significant to the social lifestyle of the nomadic Turks and their pre-Islamic beliefs...
, which contains the most famous epic stories of the Oghuz Turks
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
.
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 festival
Folk festival
A Folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music.-Canada:Alberta*Calgary Folk Music Festival*Canmore Folk Music Festival*Edmonton Folk Music Festival*Jasper Folk Festival*Wild Mountain Music FestOntario*Barriefolk...
s. 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. For many years, the Soviet government blocked access to the Azerbaijani national music from the international arena. Soviet propaganda often considered ashiq art and mughamMugham
Mugam also known as Azerbaijani Mugham is one of the many folk musical compositions from Azerbaijan, contrast with Tasnif, Ashugs. Mugam draws on Iranian-Arabic-Turkish Maqam....
as primitive art, which, failed, however, to reduce the interest of most of the educated to this oral musical tradition.
Modern history and worldwide acceptance (1991–present)
In modern AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, 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.
Ashiq-poets, on the contrary, along with storytelling activities, engaged also in poetry. In Azerbaijan, such Ashiqs were called Ustad
Ustad
Ustad is an Arabized Persian word is a honorific title for a Muslim man in South Asia. The title precedes the name and is usually used for well regarded teachers and artists, most often musicians. It is applied and used via informal social agreement. It is abbreviated as ut. or ud.-References:*...
, which translates from Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
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
Ashig Alasgar
Ashig Alasgar , , was an Azeri mystic troubadour and highly regarded poet of Azeri folk songs . He was born in the village of Aghkilsa in the Goycha district of the Erivan Khanate.-References:...
and many others. They had a tremendous impact not only on ashig poetry, but also greatly influenced the written literature of Azerbaijan
Literature of Azerbaijan
Literature of Azerbaijan primarily refers to Azerbaijani literature, or Azeri Language Literature. But it could also mean:* Persian Literature from Azerbaijan* Arabic Literature from Azerbaijan.* Russian Literature from Azerbaijan....
.
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.
After Azerbaijan's independence from the USSR, Art of Azerbaijani ashiqs engaged in the worldwide promotion campaign of Culture of Azerbaijan
Culture of Azerbaijan
Following their ambiguous geographic location, the Azerbaijani culture has developed under influence under both Islamic and European cultures, including its Persian, Caucasus and Turkic heritage as well as Russian influences due to its former status as a Soviet republic...
. 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
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's Intangible Cultural Heritage
Intangible Cultural Heritage
The concept of intangible cultural heritage emerged in the 1990s, as a counterpart to the World Heritage that focuses mainly on tangible aspects of culture...
list.
Delivery
In Azerbaijan, ashigs' style of performance differ in the specific characteristics of local creativity. For example, each ashig representing the regions of GanjaGanja, Azerbaijan
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
, Kalbajar
Kalbajar
]Kalbajar is a rayon of Azerbaijan. Kalbajar is a Kurdish name meaning Stone City. The entire region is now under the control of Armenian forces who call the western half Karvajar. The eastern half is part of Nagorno-Karabakh, making up part of the province of Martakert...
, Gazakh, Tovuz
Tovuz (rayon)
Tovuz is a rayon of Azerbaijan. It is situated between Shemkir and Agstafa, 360 km from Baku and 107 km from Tbilisi city. A major train line runs through the center, stopping at Tovuz Stansiya. Tovuz also borders Armenia near the village of Eli Beli.The town of Tovuz is a municipal...
and Borchali
Borchali
Borchali is a region of Georgia largely populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis. Historical name of present day-Kvemo Kartli.-Etymology:According to the etymological research "Borchali" toponymy is considered coming from the words "hole" and "empty"...
markedly differ in their individual skill and cherish traditional ashig art. 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
Baglama
thumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
. 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.