TO THE SOUNDS OF THE EAST

The 3rd Silk Road International Music Festival started on 30 June in one of the most beautiful parts of our country - Saki. It brought together representatives from many countries. The festival held by the Union of Composers and the Saki executive authorities opened with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the Palace of the Saki Khans - one of the most outstanding monuments of national architecture.

The choice of Saki as the venue for the Silk Road International Music Festival is not accidental. This city has been famous for its talents at all times. It is not surprising that Saki was named "the capital of Azerbaijani arts" this year. Many prominent figures of art and literature - Mirza Fatali Axundov, Baxtiyar Vahabzada, Rasim Ocaqov, Lutfali Abdullayev and Safiqa Abdullayeva - were born here. In addition, this year marks the anniversary of the Palace of the Saki Khans - the historical monument turns 250.

For several days, the territory of the Palace of the Saki Khans turned into a kind of concert hall in the open air, where musicians from around the world performed. But it is our performers who were the main players at the festival. The programme they had prepared for the festival stood out for its special diversity, and its highlight was a musical composition based on Uzeyir Hacibayov's operetta "Arsin Mal Alan" called "Arsin malci on the Great Silk Road", which was presented by artists of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Fikrat Amirov Song and Dance Ensemble of the Muslim Magomayev State Philharmonic Hall.

The programme of this year's festival included works of Azerbaijani composers whose anniversaries are marked this year - Niyazi, Fikrat Amirov, Said Rustamov, Qara Qarayev and other prominent authors. The Cahangir Cahangirov choir and the Niyazi Symphony Orchestra of Azerbaijani television were also invited.

On the second day of the festival, there was a concert of the Cabbar Qaryaqdi Azerbaijani mugam trio in Saki's Calabixan Palace. The people's artist Malakxanim Eyyubova accompanied by Mohlat Muslimov (tar) and Faxraddin Dadasov (kamanca) performed mugams and folk songs. It must be noted that the mugam trio, which became the winner of the first mugam competition in 1984, successfully represents Azerbaijan at many competitions both at home and abroad.

On 2 July, three events were held during the festival: master classes by M. Muslimov and F. Dadasov at the Saki College of Music, an afternoon concert at Cannat Bagi, where the Turkish instrumental group Al Kindi performed. This famous Turkish group is headed by Jalal Eddine Weiss, a Frenchman by birth, who is engaged in serious research in the field of oriental music. Mr Weiss managed to find unique manuscripts of Ottoman court music, and including these tunes in the repertoire of his ensemble, led them out of oblivion and gave them a second life. On the same evening, the dance group of the Conservatory of Giresun (Turkey) - a twin city of Saki - performed in the Khan's Palace.

The next day of the festival began with a concert by the Cahangirov choir of Azerbaijani radio and television. Works by U. Hacibayov, S. Rustamov, A. Zeynalli, A. Alizada, C. Abbasova, M. Cafarov and Azerbaijani folk songs were played. The Iranian ensemble Acemler, which specializes in the music of the Sufi tradition, performed in Yuxari Karvansaray, while the wonderful Georgian folk song and dance ensemble Erisioni performed at the evening concert in Asagi Karvansaray.

The festival was closed on 4 July. This day saw interesting presentations, meetings and visits to exhibitions that ran throughout the festival.

The final concert took place in Asagi Karvansaray. The right to close the festival was given to the Niyazi Symphony Orchestra (the artistic director is the honoured artist Azad Aliyev). The soloists are Honoured Artists G. Ismayilova, I. Afandiyev, and R. Qasimov. Works of U. Hacibayov, Q. Qarayev, F. Amirov, Niyazi and S. Rustamov were played.

By the decision of TURKSOY, an organization that develops and implements important cultural programmes at regional and international levels within and beyond the Turkic-speaking area, the city of Saki has been declared the "capital of the intangible culture of the Turkic peoples" in the current year. This decision gives special significance to the 3rd Silk Road Festival, which was held in Saki and was devoted to an important historical date - the 250th anniversary of the famous Palace of the Saki Khans.