The ensemble’s performance, presented by Pusaka, is a part of the DiverseCity 2015, a festival of music, dance, theatre and cultural workshops which runs till October.

For the uninitiated, The Alim Qasimov Ensemble perform the mugham, a traditional Azerbaijani folk music and song performance (see accompanying video of mugham).

Mugham is a highly complex oral tradition combining an ancient melodic system and lyrics based on folk tales, and it is believed to have been derived from ancient Persian musical traditions.

Since 2003, the mugham is listed as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Alim Qasimov is a legend in his own right, having performed with the likes of world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and American string quartet Kronos Quartet.

Fargana, meanwhile, started singing the mugham since she was 16 years old and became a permanent member of her father’s music group by the time she was 20.

In their show titled The Divine Beloved: Mugham of Azerbaijan, which took place at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, the ensemble chose to start the night with one of Azerbaijan’s most beloved folk song, Sari Gelin.

Singers of mugham developed highly skilled and stylised cadences while singing the modes of the melodic system.

In short, while the melodic system is fixed, the delivery is highly individualised according to the singer’s interpretation of a song.

To do this, it takes years of apprenticeship, practice and performances.

Fargana has proven her mettle when performing solo.  The silvery ululation of her voice during the most intense part of the songs she sang was very emotional.

In contrast is Alim’s throaty voice which has a rich timbre, occasionally broken by a staccato to mark the start of a new verse.

In all the songs, Alim and Fargana seamlessly improvise the verses in the middle of the songs with a series of ascending wails and passionate imploring and waving of their hands.

As such, the 1-1/2-hour performance took audience into an intense, hypnotic and heady realm.  And this writer can say, with certain, that it is not unlike an experience of a lengthy prayer and meditation session.

It was a rewarding experience, for the human mind is so conditioned to look outward into the world that is constantly bombarding our senses.

It is the incessant demand of looking outward to the physical or the present realm that leaves one with little time to sit and reflect inwards, into the soul.

So, the night with the ensemble was a Nirvana of sorts. While none in the audience (except for Azerbaijanis) did not understand a single word that was sung, it was good enough to be able to soak the feeling of ecstasy from listening to the amazingly beautiful music called mugham.

And this writer certainly hope that their first performance here won’t be the last.

 

(www.therakyatpost.com)