Mugham
is a symbol of Azerbaijan's traditional culture. Much more than music
played with traditional instruments following a precise style, it is
also poetry, inspiration, and improvisation
There are several ingredients to this art: the musical instruments used during each of the performances and the poetry.
The
three key instruments used in this type of musical expression are the
kamancha, a four-stringed, spiked fiddle, the tar, a long-neck,
lute-shaped plucked string instrument played in the horizontal position,
and the gaval, a type of a large tambourine. The
poetry, the second ingredient, supplies each Mugham piece with lyrics.
This is usually classically written poetry, such as gazal or bayati,
which features recurring themes such as love, mysticism, sorrow, and
pain.
Each
piece is based on a typical melodic model with different combinations,
and each of the performances or improvisations might last from half an
hour to several hours.
Be
it because of a love for art, an interest in different cultures, or
pure inspiration, listeners continue to be attracted to Mugham which is
growing in popularity across the world.
You can enjoy Mugham online: http://muzzaz.net/
