About the jazz
Baku heard jazz almost a century ago — and answered it with mugham.
Jazz came to Baku in the first half of the 20th century and quickly took root in the cosmopolitan oil city. But the real magic happened when local musicians fused it with mugham — the classical Azerbaijani art of improvisation.
Thus mugham-jazz was born — a unique genre where two great traditions of free improvisation meet. Its creator was the pianist Vagif Mustafazadeh.
Since then Azerbaijan has given the world a constellation of jazz names — from Aziza Mustafa Zadeh to Isfar Sarabski — while the Baku Jazz Festival gathers stars from around the globe.
In brief
Jazz in a few notes
Mugham-jazzThe core idea
Two worlds of improvisation
Mugham and jazz were born in different parts of the world, yet both rest on improvisation, modal thinking and dialogue between musicians. Vagif Mustafazadeh was the first to hear their kinship.
In his hands the piano began to speak the language of mugham — and a genre appeared that the world now knows as Azerbaijan’s contribution to jazz.
“Mugham is the soul, jazz is the freedom. I simply joined them.”
The spirit of Azerbaijani jazz
Generations of jazzThe names
From Vagif to Isfar
Vagif Mustafazadeh, his daughter Aziza, Rafig Babayev — the generation that created Azerbaijani jazz. After them came Rain Sultanov, Salman Gambarov and a whole new wave.
Today Isfar Sarabski and Shahin Novrasli play on the world’s greatest stages, carrying on their teachers’ work.
Baku Jazz FestivalThe stage
A city that listens to jazz
The Baku International Jazz Festival gathers world stars — from Al Jarreau to young virtuosos. The city has jazz clubs, a centre and a school.
Jazz in Baku is no museum but a living stage where music sounds every night.
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