JAZZ JUST FOR THE YOUNG

The idle laziness of an extremely hot July was, to the surprise of many, interrupted by the 4th jazz festival to be held in Baku. Despite the heat, the jazz centre brought together so many people that latecomers had nowhere to sit. The jazz festival, which is held in Baku every year, has become a kind of cultural visiting card for our city.

How it happened

The Baku International Jazz Festival was first held in 2005. To be exact early April 2005 saw the first festival and it aroused colossal interest among residents and visitors to Baku. The first festival amazed us with the wide geographical draw of its participants and the professional level of the musicians. This large-scale event was attended not only by the experienced, but also by relatively young jazzmen from Russia, Germany, France, Turkey, the USA, Georgia, Canada and other countries. Suffice to say that the main guest at the festival was the famous Joe Zawinul and his Syndicate, who closed the official programme. Festival concerts and jam sessions gave residents and guests of Baku a chance to delve into the atmosphere and simply communicate with musicians. The main result of the festival was that jazzmen from various countries had a chance to communicate with each other.

The festival of 2006 will stay in our minds for the arrival of world jazz superstars. Our city was visited by winners of the most prestigious Grammy music award, Herbie Hancock and Al Jarreau. It should also be noted that Herbie Hancock premiered his new programme in our city. This was the first time that the opening of the festival had been broadcast live by Space TV and a TV bridge was organized with Georgia featuring Vaqif Mustafazade's colleague and double bass player Tamaz Kurashvili. Unlike in the first festival, the youth programme of the 2006 festival continued for two days, and its website published detailed press releases and photographs every day. The jazz festival of 2007 was noted for the performance of Aziza Mustafazade which jazz music lovers had been anticipating from the very first festival. This was no surprise because Aziza, successor to her father Vaqif Mustafazade, the founder of jazz mugham, has become a kind of symbol of the continuity of music heritage.

Stakes are made

This year's jazz festival was different from previous ones as its organizers banked on the talent of youth, for whom the festival was actually organized. At the opening of this remarkable event, well-known Azerbaijani jazzman and arts director of the Baku Jazz Centre, Emil Ibrahim Mammadov, pointed out that the international festival was not being held this year for the simple reason that all music halls are being refurbished in Baku. But, nevertheless, despite the absence of famous guests, the jazz centre auditorium was packed, which aroused a feeling of elation. This means that the young love jazz.

"Our talented youth are beginning to learn the pulse of jazz, which is inconceivable without improvisation and true inspiration. Our centre aims to attract as many young people as possible to this astonishing music. Let them come here, practise it and learn from each other and from famous masters. We have many talented players and we will be only too happy to support them. Our centre is working precisely for these guys, because jazz, just like any other style of music, cannot develop with succession, courage and the audacity of youth," Emil told us after his performance.

The two days of the festival showed that our youth have plenty of courage and audacity. Everyone was fascinated by the astonishing technique, sense of jazz rhythm and expression of pianist Aysel Quliyeva. A representative of the Japanese company Yamaha, who had wandered into the "party" by chance, was so touched that he decided to give the girl a Clavinola in recognition of her talent. Pianists Isfar Sarabski, Mehran, Anar, trombonist Dayanat, singer Yelena and young performers Jasmin (eight years old) and Fariz (nine years old) also stood out.

The organizers decided to encourage all participants in the festival by the presentation of valuable gifts from sponsors who were actually pleased to take part in this event. Closing the festival, Emil Ibrahim Mammadov said that he was pleased with its results. "Next year we are planning to hold a youth jazz contest with a stringent system of selection for the three top places, and we are planning to hold it every year," Emil told us.

The jazz festival has ended. But judging from the growing professionalism and artistic development and, what is more important, the great desire of our youth for music, in future we may witness the birth of many starlets who will justifiably share the stage with recognized masters of this art of freedom, inspiration and rhythm which proudly calls itself "jazz".