THE GODMOTHER OF MUSIC

Zemfira Qafarova is a well-known musicologist in Azerbaijan and a promoter of mugam and works of Azerbaijani composers. She teaches at the Baku Music Academy and is a professor of the department of history of music and secretary of the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan. Books, reports, articles and scientific notes of Azerbaijan State Conservatory, reviews of concerts, ballets and operas in the press - all this is the sphere of activity of musicologist Qafarova. Her monographs give portraits of great Azerbaijani composers such as Safiqa Axundova, Tofiq Bakixanov, Ramiz Mustafayev, Haci Xanmammadov and many others and focus on their significance for Azerbaijani music.

Zemfira Qafarova has many followers - it is her students, dissertators and art critics who work in various links of musical education in Azerbaijan. Many of Zemfira's students are known both in our country and abroad. She can be approached for advice or help with confidence and ease - Zemfira will never refuse. And when we are talking about students, she says: "I'm proud of my students."

In an interview with R+, she talked about her work, future plans and family.

- Tell us about your family...

- I grew up in a family of artists, but was surrounded by musicians. My mother Gulli Mustafayeva is a people's artist of Azerbaijan and a very beautiful woman. An organized person, she had time to deal with public work despite her busy schedule. By 11 o'clock our apartment shone and pies were ready. And she dedicated her time from 11 to 2 o'clock in the afternoon to her favourite activity. Her visit card was a portrait of the 12th century poet Mahsati Gancavi, which she drew based on her poetry (rubai), using the features of her own face. My father Hasan Haqverdiyev is one of the founders of Azerbaijani painting and drew portraits of many figures of Azerbaijani culture - Niyazi, Rasul Rza, Sattar Bahlulzada, Azim Azimzada ... And his painting "Pushkin at the Grave of Griboyedov" is kept at Moscow's Pushkin Museum. My mother's brother, my uncle - a people's artist and composer Ramiz Mustafayev and the author of several operas, including "Vaqif", choral and major instrumental works - wrote several military marches and patriotic songs during the war. Another uncle Faiq Mustafayev conducted the Symphony Orchestra of the Philharmonic. Unfortunately, his brother Ali Haqverdiyev - an honoured artist, lead singer of the opera house and painter - tragically died in the prime of his creative powers, which greatly shortened the life of my mother. My sister, an honoured artist and well-known organist Rana Ismayilova, promotes world organ culture, including Azerbaijani organ culture. So our house was always dominated by a creative atmosphere, famous people and famous artists constantly came to visit, and my mother heartily received them. Music sounded invariably. And I think that's why my activity was predetermined. My sons also chose music as the main profession.

- How did you come to your profession?

- After graduating from the historical and theoretical faculty of Azerbaijan State Conservatory in 1966, I studied at the graduate school of the Institute of Architecture and Art of the Azerbaijan SSR from 1968 to 1972. I can't forget my teachers, because they are all dear to me. They were wonderful people and great musicians. I retained warm relations with some of them after graduation. Among them, I want to note R. Chernyahovskaya, N. Aliverdibayov, R. Farhadova, M. Mirzoyeva, Z. Stelnik, D. Danilov, I. Abezgauz and E. Abbasova who instilled a love of music, theoretical subjects, world culture and literature in us. I still have very fond memories of these wonderful teachers. I'm very grateful to all of them. When I came to the conservatory, it was led by the outstanding Azerbaijani composer Covdat Haciyev. I'm a very happy person because I studied in that period. After graduating from the historical and theoretical faculty with honours, I stayed to work at the department of history of music. I'm trying to convey this love for my job and a sense of gratitude to teachers to my students as well.

- You worked for seven years in the Turkish city of Edirne, where you also successfully educated new musicians.

 - I taught at Trakya University. It so happened that I was forced to live in that city - my husband was there for treatment. I felt very homesick, missed my other son Samir and hurried home all the time.

- As a scientist, you're exploring the activity of Uzeyir Hacibayov, in particular autographs to the opera "Koroglu". Are you still working in this direction?

- With his opera "Koroglu", the great Uzeyir Hacibayov takes the main place in my activity. I was interested in this topic as a student and then never left it throughout my life. So I wrote the first broad monograph about the opera "Koroglu" with an overall analysis. In general, the rich creative heritage of Uzeyir Hacibayov, whose 130th anniversary we celebrate this year and who embodies the most valuable and promising things in Azerbaijan music, predetermined my further successful development. There's no area in the history of Azerbaijani musical culture, which wouldn't be associated with the name of the great composer.

- You have 15 books written in your arsenal. What new things are you preparing now?

- Two more books are in the process of publication: a book about the famous tar player Bahram Mansurov and "History of Azerbaijani Music" dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Uzeyir Hacibayov and Muslim Maqomayev. Extensive work is under way to prepare conferences, publish booklets, present new books and concerts. If earlier we produced booklets only for the anniversaries of composers, now they've been joined by stories about the activities of musicologists.

- The books are not only about composers, but also performers - your brother, singer and artist, Ali Haqverdiyev, as well as the flutist Telman Haciyev ... It's wonderful that you publish your works in two languages. What's interesting is that you know thoroughly not only about the activity of our musicians, but a lot about their personal lives, being their godmother...

- I love our music and musicians, and therefore I have to know a lot, as I write about it ... We're sometimes insufficiently attentive to the people who have made a lot of effort to promote Azerbaijani musical art. So let's try to be attentive to each other and not forget our loved ones! And in general I think that those who cherish the present and the future of our art should contribute to its development.

By the way, I'm also happy that I'm a member of the Council on Music and Art at Public Television. Because of this I'm able to promote the best examples of Azerbaijani classical and world music.

- Do you consider yourself a strong and brave person?

- In spite of what I've experienced (many sad pages), I've remained strong in life and courageous in my activity...

- How do you feel about pop music?

- There're no bad genres, there's bad music ... I'm glad, of course, that young composers are not only attracted to avant-garde movements, but rely on folk music traditions more and more.