BRAVO, SIR ELTON!

A concert by the prominent Bri-tish singer Elton John did take place in Baku, despite the spiteful remarks of critics! The holder of the Order of the British Empire and Her Majesty's Knight, Sir Elton, who gave his concert at the Republic's Tofiq Bahramov stadium, proved once again that his voice is still strong, his fingers are still nimble at the piano, his movements are fluid and his outfit is extravagant. Reginald Kenneth Dwight has been on the stage for almost 40 years. He has already sold 250 million recordings, which is why he is regarded as one of most commercially successful singers of all time. It should be noted that the visit to Baku by one of the most extravagant singers of the planet was organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Several days before the planned concert, Baku was visited by a large delegation to organize the event. Ten lorries arrived in the capital to bring lighting and scenic equipment. The rest of the ultra-modern equipment was delivered by the singer's team on a special freight plane. The singer arrived in Baku on the day of the concert and was put up in the presidential room of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Before that, he gave a concert in Sochi where he participated in a flamboyant ice show "Sochi, Time of Victory!" as part of the sixth investment forum Sochi 2007, and in Moscow.

Apart from the 26,000 available seats, a special platform for 4,000 VIPs was installed in front of the stage at the Tofiq Bahramov stadium. In order to ensure security, there were several lines of guards. The police carefully checked visitors at the entrance to the stadium. Among the VIP guests was the entire elite - from top ministers and cultural figures to representatives of show business. The concert was also attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva. The singer appeared on stage five minutes after the head of state and first lady took their seats.

Sir Elton appeared before the audience in a black jacket glittering with spangles, black trousers with blue stripes, a bright blue shirt and his usual dark glasses. The musician's chest was decorated by a massive, encrusted gold cross. The first songs, including 'Rocket Man', which was composed in the mid 1970s, were enthusiastically welcomed by the audience. The word "sag olun", which Sir Elton had learnt by heart, caused a storm of delight. The audience listened to the next popular song, 'Sacrifice' almost all standing. He also sang a song dedicated to the late opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. During his concert, which lasted almost two hours, Elton John sang about 20 songs, including such well-known hits as 'Crocodile Rock', 'I'm Still Standing', 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' and 'Blessed'.

The song 'Candle In The Wind', which was dedicated to the late Princess Diana, was especially appreciated by the Baku audience. Mobile telephones all over the place almost lit up the stadium. Judging by the number of shining spots, the singer's most loyal fans had gathered around the perimeter of the stadium.