The music of Azerbaijan
A precious inheritance
Azerbaijan’s musical legacy is rich and full of history, stories, and tradition. But it’s a living legacy that younger generations in the country are making their own.
The country’s particular musical style, Mugham, has roots deep in Azerbaijani history and national consciousness. Most who hear the iconic sound of Azerbaijan gain an appreciation for it, but few have as strongly as Jeffrey Werbock, an American musician and expert in Azerbaijani music.
Force and emotion: the music that changed a life
Werbock’s introduction to Azerbaijani music was by chance. While living in Los Angeles to pursue a career in the music industry, he met an older musician from Derbend, Dagestan, a region in southern Russia that bordered Azerbaijan and was once a part of it. As such, Dagestan has a similar musical culture to Azerbaijan and shares many instruments.
“He played with such force, such emotional power that the moment I first heard him play, I felt my interest transform from wanting to be a composer to wanting to study and learn how to play his music on that instrument,” says Werbock. The kamancha, a fiddle-type string instrument, was his gateway into loving the music of Azerbaijan.
But the music is built of multiple influences, a melting pot of sounds and techniques.
“Azerbaijani Mugham music,” explains Werbock “is monophonic (meaning it has no chords), modal, and contains ‘staircase melodies’ which are like complex, convoluted scales, with notes in the melodies following one another in a manner resembling a staircase.”
One of the key differences between Mugham and Western music is its microtonal form and the lack of meter. “There is no regular beat, no metronomic rhythm to the phrases, which makes it very difficult to learn and replicate correctly,” Werbock continues. “Mugham is highly ornamented… it is nearly impossible to notate. It’s improvisational, similar to free jazz’s theme and variation structure.”
Mugham: a cultural legacy
Werbock’s passion for Mugham is evident, but he’s also aware of its position in Azerbaijan. “It’s very sophisticated, nuanced, complex, challenging, and deeply emotional.” He likens it to opera in that it’s not something the whole population routinely listens to. Still, all Azerbaijanis are aware of it and are proud to claim Mugham as a part of their nation’s cultural legacy. Unlike opera, it’s still part of special events, punctuating weddings and celebrations with meaning, and UNESCO has recognized its cultural significance as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
[Mugham] is very sophisticated, nuanced, complex, challenging, and deeply emotional.
Jeffrey Werbock, American musician and expert in Azerbaijani music
The future of any tradition is in the hands of the young generation, with Werbock acknowledging that many talented young Azerbaijani singers and musicians play and sing Mugham “at the highest professional level and with great feeling.” Combined with strong government support, in the form of investment in modern facilities to teach and perform Mugham, TV specials, and sending ensembles abroad, to build awareness of the musical tradition worldwide.
Hear it for yourself: how to experience the music of Azerbaijan
Visitors to Azerbaijan can experience Mugham for themselves at the International Mugham Center of Azerbaijan. This striking, modern building incorporates a concert hall where young performers often display their prowess. The center is in Baku, on a boulevard by the Caspian Sea, which makes for a genuinely atmospheric visit.
Werbock also notes that it’s easy to experience Mugham in less formal surroundings at many of Baku’s restaurants, where a Mugham trio will perform. At the same time, you can try some of Azerbaijan’s unique culinary offerings.
To experience music that is a bit more ‘festive’ in feel, Werbock recommends visiting during Novruz. This festival, which falls in March, has its roots in Zoroastrian tradition and celebrates the passing of the old year and the coming of the new. As with all elements of Azerbaijani culture, the music features heavily, and it’s widely considered to be one of the most magical times of year to visit the country.
