Mugham (also known as mugam) is the Azerbaijani modal system. Azerbaijani mugham music is the main form of art music
based on mugham modal system. The mugham modes are associated not only with scales but with an orally transmitted collection
of melodies and melodic fragments that performers use in the course of improvisation exactly similar to what can be seen in
dastgah modes in Persian dastgah music.
There are seven main (or chief) modes plus three auxiliary modes in Azerbaijani mugham modal system and
a couple of some smaller mughams. One can compare them with seven main modes in Persian dastgah music plus five or six
avazes.
Azeri music has four major rhythm cycles (used in zarbi mughams) that I have discussed and explained with suitable
MP3s in my articles and ghaval lessons:
I am very proud of sharing the stage with one of the most famous kamanche players of Azerbaijan, maestro Habil Aliev
and my father:
Peyman, Ostad Habil Aliev and Ostad Nasehpoor
Biography of Ostad Habil Aliev (Master of Kamancha)
Ostad Habil Aliev, one of the great masters of Azerbaijani Classical music, was born on May 28, 1927 in Azerbaijan. His
first concert was relayed from the TV in 1961. He played "Segah" with a new style of performing and technique, which caused
a great reflect among the admirers of Azerbaijani music. He began to extend his creative researches from day to day. He gave
a new life to many of mugams (Azerbaijani modal system). In 1952, he entered the kamancha (Azerbaijani spike fiddle) Dept.
of Musical School after A. Zeynalli. Lately he worked at Philharmonic Society in Baku, Azerbaijan. He has been to more than
60 foreign countries, promoting Azerbaijani Calssical music. He also became famous accompanist. To sound every mugam in its
own language in a tripet, to protect its united spirit and to stress the individuality of all the components of the music
is one of his splendid efforts.
Azerbaijan International Magazine: World's Largest Web Site about Azerbaijan. It is an independent magazine published since 1993 and committed to the discussion
of issues related to Azerbaijanis around the world.
MusiceIranian.ir: Tabriz-based online music magazine in Persian New!
Azeri is also spelled as Azari. Azar is a Persian word means fire.
Azerbaijan is a big area, in the north it is the Republic of Azerbaijan and its center is Baku and in South it is the
East and West Azarbaijan and Ardebil provinces of Iran (Persia). The most important cities of Iran's Azerbaijan are Tabriz,
Orumiyyeh and Ardebil.
We have other Turkic cultures (such as turkmen and ghashghai culture) that we will not discuss about them here.
The music is called musighi also spelled as musiqi or musigi.
The relations among Persian, Armenian, Turkish, Azeri and Kurdish music are so vivid that we can consider each tradition
as major branches of the same tree.
Arabic (particularly, Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian, Tunisian, Moroccan and Lebanese) and Persian music have very deep relationships.
Also Persian music has some relationships with Afghani, Tajik, Pakistani, Indian music. One needs to work on all these
musical genres and system to have a better understanding about each of them.
