THE VALOUR OF AZERBAIJANI MUGAM

Watching the performance "Layla and Majnun", which I've been following since childhood along with hundreds of other spectators, from a very close range this time - almost from the edge of the stage - evoked quite different feelings. Also, from a close distance, the characters of the masterpiece of genius Uzeyir Hacibayov looked quite different. The scene where Layla and Majnun complained about fate to each other lured me into the world of magic, and I woke up only from the voice of my companion - People's Artist Nazakat Teymurova whose rehearsal I was attending. And my first question was precisely about the opera "Layla and Majnun", which fascinated me.

- The greatest dream of most young singers is to get a role in "Layla and Majnun". Despite your young age, it was the role of Layla that you first played. Can we say that you achieved your dreams from the very beginning?

- Of course, you can. In our time, there were no such majestic mugam contests as now. After I completed my education at the Asaf Zeynalli music school, I was sent to work in the Opera and Ballet Theatre. Here I received a positive review and my first job was the role of Layla. However, it wasn't so easy to play it. Before my first appearance onstage, I constantly rehearsed for as much as 7 months. I rehearsed very hard because it was a huge responsibility. During the performance, along with singing, facial expressions and gestures are crucial. It's a very important and difficult process. Naturally, this role is the biggest dream of any singer. On the other hand, it's an opera, and not everything is decided by one person. In order to satisfy the audience, everyone and everything has to be at a high level - the music, the performers of other roles, stage design ... Thank God, in 1995 when I first went onstage in the role of Layla, everything turned out fine. Even the then press wrote about it. But man is a creature whose capabilities are unlimited. Although many years have passed since then and I've played the role of Layla many times, every time I experience different feelings and every time I learn something new. Before I go onstage as Layla, I prepare myself for this. I've never appeared onstage as Nazakat. After 2 years, it will be 20 years since I embody this image onstage. Thank God, the audience is always happy. It is impossible to fool them. They know everything and see better than us. Therefore, one needs to take a careful and responsible approach to each moment.

- What did Layla teach the young Nazakat, who had not yet experienced all the vicissitudes of life?

- A person gets used and adapts to the environment in which he finds itself. Layla helped to overcome the remoteness inherent in my nature. This role taught me to come closer to the audience and warm myself with their warmth. With this role, I also learnt the secrets of the great Uzeyir Hacibayov. I'm happy that I was fated to play this role at a young age and be loved precisely in this role.

- They say that women are not inferior to men in power or in potential. But sometimes the fact that they are women turns into an obstacle. Has this ever been an obstacle to you?

- We are Muslims. Previously, there were moments when there was a negative attitude to a girl's decision to become a singer and especially to go onstage. I had difficulties in this regard. But I think that this choice - becoming a singer and performing onstage - was not just my decision, but my destiny bestowed on me by Allah. Figuratively speaking, this art chose me and Allah created conditions for this. Even today, there're some things I avoid because of the fact that I'm a woman - I stick to certain restrictions for myself. After all, when there is talent, there's no need for another way. Of course, I'm talking about talented people who love arts. Those who don't possess these qualities are glorified in many ways anyway and are even awarded with honorary titles. The stage is a place where nothing is hidden from the eyes of the audience. For this reason, the difference between those who demonstrate their talent and those who have other interests manifests itself immediately.

- Most mugam performers claim that there's a monopoly in this area...

- If someone has nothing in their soul, they're designed for evil whoever they are. This is true not only of mugam. Weak people don't want anyone stronger than them to be nearby, because they are sure that in the course of time they will fall behind. When I had just appeared onstage, there were many such moments in respect of me. That's why I'll never do so in relation to others. I regard it as inconceivable. I promised myself that if I ever reach the peak, I will definitely support young female singers who follow me and will become a pillar for them. By the way, I have a student I want to train and if allowed, I'll bring her to the stage in the role of Layla.

- You are the soloist of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, where you spend a lot of time. Do you visit other theatres? What performance did you last watch?

- I last visited the Academic National Drama Theatre. Sometimes they stage plays I would like to see with great pleasure. Sometimes, however, the lack of time doesn't allow my wish to come true.

- But you're aware of the state of our theatres...

- You know, every theatre has its own repertoire and direction. I'm a person who's far from gossip and doesn't like it. Therefore, I won't touch on some points. Other theatres have their own directors. They can talk about it themselves. I can only talk about our theatre where we stage new performances and address new opera works. We don't have many national operas, so we turn to the works of foreign authors, trying to fill the void.

- Apparently, to some extent, art has become the meaning of your life. What do you think is meaningless for you?

- Believe me, I won't be mistaken if I say a lot. I have a completely different inner world. I'm not as I seem outwardly. With age, a person begins to delve deeper into all details. You feel that some suffered from moral degradation. At such moments, you feel like in a vacuum. And lately, sometimes I don't even want to sing, I can't - that's all.

- Maybe one of the reasons for this emptiness is the occupation of your homeland - Karabakh?

- Of course. Sometimes I dream of the day when we return to our lands and I will sell all that I have and go to live there. Even when your dearest person departs this life, in the course of time you get used to his absence and to a life without him, even if it's your own child. But land is quite another matter. It's a concept that attracts people to itself even more over the years, moves closer to them and doesn't allow itself to be forgotten. In addition, childhood memories are so firmly entrenched in mind that sometimes in my dreams I see those places as if in reality. My mother always says she won't die while she lives here and that she'll die only after the liberation of Karabakh to be buried in her homeland. And there's no other way - people must definitely merge with the land where they were born.

- If we are talking about what has been lost, recently the question of returning to the performance of Nava mugam was on the agenda. But it seems that the question remained open...

- Honestly, one of my friends recently offered to teach me to perform this mugam so I become the first female singer to perform it. But I didn't accept this offer. This mugam derives from other mugams. We perform mugams that are considered the top. In the performance of Nava, there are moments when you turn to each division and go back. It will be hard for the viewer to understand this. Therefore, the question is still open.

- What can you say about the attitude to Azerbaijani mugam at concerts abroad?

- Previously, when we performed mugam in foreign countries, we were identified with performers from Iran or from India because at that time, there was no caring attitude to mugam in Azerbaijan. We rarely participated in festivals. In the history of Azerbaijan there are even moments when mugam survived only thanks to the support of the people. Today, the care and attention to mugam displayed by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and personally Mehriban Aliyeva have opened all doors to mugam. Thanks to the holding of international festivals in Azerbaijan, we have become famous all over the world. Now Azerbaijan is known in foreign countries and there's a great interest in it. Therefore, we proudly go onstage and among the flags of other countries, our flag is flying. It's a very exciting moment. For example, after seeing the flag of Azerbaijan on the stage during a festival in Samsun this summer, I couldn't hold back my feelings. Tears welled in my eyes and I cried.

- Why are there no other internationally recognized singers in Azerbaijan such as Alim Qasimov?

- To become famous abroad, you need skilled producers and organizers. It's a team process. Singers alone can't cope with it.

- As far as I know, Alim Qasimov doesn't have such a powerful producer...

- At one time there were people who introduced him.

- Maybe he was famous for his different style of mugam performance?

- It's also one of the points from the same series. However, I should note that Azerbaijani mugam has the magic power that makes people perceive it in any country. Alim muallim also failed to start this process immediately. He's been moving in this direction for many years. In this case, chance also matters. Apparently, Alim Qasimov is not only a wonderful singer, but also a man who got a chance.

- Why don't you participate in mugam contests as a member of the jury?

- In fact, I visit all of these competitions and inquire about them. I've always said, and I remain unconvinced, that masters should always go at the forefront. Our masters have always been part of the jury. But I'm not the kind of person who claims it. If it's ever possible to do so and conditions develop for that, our turn will also come. Receiving invitations to certain programmes, I first suggest giving the floor to our masters so that it remains in history. We will have time to speak out.

- Often our mugam is confused with Persian mugam, apparently, because of the Persian names of a number of mugams, for example, Bayati-Shiraz, Bayati-Kurd, Segah...

- Historically, in a certain period many spoke in Persian here. But this does not mean that we're Persians. That's when our mugams received Persian names. Azerbaijani mugam has its own distinctive features. Our mugam is dynamic and rhythmic. Persian mugams are monotonous. They perform mugam sluggishly. Our mugam has valour. Persian mugams are performed from notes, while our mugams are full of improvisations and are infinitely deep. We can answer all claims with our performance. The scientific side can be proven by theorists.

- Finally, about your plans for the future.

- I have made a video for "Sari Galin", which I will present in October. As for the concert, I'll probably be able to realize it in the future.