"WHEN YOU'RE AT THE TOP AND YOU CAN'T GO HIGHER"

She can hardly remember Karabakh. Gullu Muradova was only three years old when the city of Agdam where she was born was occupied by Armenia. Her Karabakh roots nevertheless shown through when Gullu grew up. A beautiful voice, something so common to those who come from the cradle of Azerbaijani music, could not go unnoticed, and her parents sent Gullu to music school. She received her music-oriented high school education in the class of famous singer of folk music Sabir Abdullayev, who was fated to teach her again at the Asaf Zeynalli College of the Azerbaijani National Conservatory.

In 2007 Gullu Muradova took first place in a televised mugam competition organized by the Heydar Aliyev Fund. This was a critical moment in her life, one that would play a decisive role in her further artistic development.

Soon people in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, and other countries began talking about the Azerbaijani girl's talent. Today she is the recipient of a presidential stipend, but the young singer has no plans to rest on her laurels. Gullu Muradova shared her artistic plans in an interview with R+.

- Before 2007 I took part in many festivals and musical competitions. Each time I failed, I was discouraged. Because of that, I went on the televised mugam contest reluctantly, too. The people around me, however, were sure that taking part in the project would bring me my long-awaited success. I listened to their advice, but even after I made it through the third round I didn't believe that I could make it into the top 20 contestants.  But fate had other things in store for me, and the use I chance I had. A big part in my victory was played by my teacher, Sabir Abdullayev.  I will also always be grateful to the Heydar Aliyev Fund and to Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva personally for making it possible for young performers to show their talent.

- But then came a quiet period. What caused that?

- Actually, there wasn't a quiet period. After the contest there were invitations to government events, folk ceremonies, and I also continued my education, so there simply wasn't time for me to go on the air.

A little while later I completely dedicated myself to preparations for the recording of a CD and presented the album Karabakh is My Land to a jury of mugam enthusiasts. Then I started thinking about a solo concert, which I'm still preparing for today. The concert, the way I imagine it, should be unique. It requires a lot of time, different conditions, a different space, and that's why we decided to postpone it until spring. But before that, on December 20, I will perform at the International Centre of the Mugam with a semester-end concert.  There, besides mugams, I will perform a passage from the opera Leyli and Macnun with one of my young colleagues. Abgul Mirzayev and I have already performed a passage from that opera at the suggestion of members of the jury. The audience enjoyed it. I hope that it will be interesting for them this time as well.

- It seems that you, like most women who perform mugam, want to become Leyli…

- I don't know how everyone else feels, but I'm confident in my voice, in my abilities. I know that I pull it off with dignity. I really like Leyli as performed by my young colleague Vusala xanim. I think that I can handle the challenge, too, and at the same time I won't get upset, if it doesn't come off. Though, of course, making one's name in the opera is a big success for any singer. On my part, I've made a few attempt to perform opera. I hope that people will appreciate this and invite me to do so, because I would gladly accept their invitations and become Leyli on the opera stage.

- In theory, as a young performer, you should appear on the air often, in the press, so that you don't lose your newsworthiness. But it seems that you avoid that…

- It's not only me. Most mugam performers don't like to fill the news feeds. They also only going on the air or appear in the press when they have something to talk about. I think that's how it should be. There's no reason to just idly talk about yourself all day - you have to be remembered for something new.

- Despite your youth, I can sense the character of quite grown-up, mature person. Is that because of the mugam's influence?

- To be honest, a lot of people tell me that. Maybe they're right. You know, the mugam is space in which you become more grown-up, wiser. It is an ocean, sinking into which you definitely absorb something, come to know it.

- To the level of which experienced master of the mugam, to what height would the young singer Gullu Muradova like to climb?

- I wouldn't want to talk about such heights. For the time being I don't think it's possible. As I said earlier, my first teacher was the wonderful mugam performer Sabir Abdullayev, and now I'm studying with national artist Arif Babayev at the national conservatory. There are also many other performers that I listen to. But I would be lying if I said that I enjoy everyone that I listen to. They all sing well, but not all of their performances touch me. Though I do acknowledge that they are good, first-class singers.

The height of the mugam for me is Alim Qasimov. No one can go further than he has. I'm in love with his voice, his personality. I think it truly be worth it to get to his level. To me he's irreplaceable.

- The mugam is moving music. Does the occupation of your homeland, Karabakh, influence your performance?

- To be perfectly honest, any type of lyrical music is moving. When I perform the segah, thinking about my homeland, of course that gives my singing even greater emotion. If the listener also lost his homeland, then these feelings, these concerns, double. My heart breaks every time I see pictures of Karabakh on the internet. But I am sure that our wounds will soon heal.