THE FAIRY TALE OF A KAMANCA

Not everyone is able to live the kind of life that Habil Aliyev lived… We have heard his playing of the kamanca many times - in concert halls, from our television screens and on the radio… It was enough to hear him just once to agree with the widely held opinion that Habil Aliyev was a legend of the Azerbaijani art of music. His melodies were so captivating and so enthralled his audiences that some could even detect something supernatural in them, the stuff of legends.

The fantastic kamanca

Indeed, in his hands the kamanca ceased to be merely an instrument made from a piece of wood. It seemed to acquire a language of its own and start up a conversation. It pierced the soul and conquered hearts. That was what Habil Aliyev could do. It may be that the kamanca and Habil Aliyev found a common language and were able to talk to one another. The maestro himself explained the reason for this somewhat differently. He said that to him the kamanca was sacred. He made friends with it when he was very little, and they travelled a long path together…

He was born on 28 May 1927 in the village of Ucqovaq in Agdas District. During his childhood, Ahmad Agdamski, the celebrated singer and teacher of music and a member of the Badalbayli family, was renting a room in Habib's house. Musicians often used to visit him. They chatted about mugams and folk songs and played tunes on the tar and the kamanca. Although, because he was still small, Habil was unable to truly understand their conversations about music, but still he listened with great interest. And he was simply spellbound by their music.

Later, when speaking about his entry into the world of the arts, he would recall those years.  He spoke with gratitude about Ahmad Agdamski and his mother Nisa xanim: "Ahmad Agdamski explained to me what art was and my mother instilled in me a love for it." His first "kamanca" was his mother's ladle and rolling pin. When Nisa went looking for them she always found them on her son's lap. In his own little world he was playing the "kamanca".  Nisa was never angry with her son. She told her lodger with a smile: "It seems my son wants to play the kamanca." He advised her to send the lad to the music school where he worked.

Habil Aliyev joined the Agdas music school at the age of seven and began learning in the kamanca class. After that they became sworn friends. The kamanca was his closest and dearest friend.

In 1938 he was asked to play a piece at a celebratory event at the school. It was his first appearance on stage. When he heard the applause he was delighted and deeply moved… After graduating from 7th grade and the music school he joined the teacher training school.

The "hospitable" kamanca

During the harsh years of the Great Patriotic War hunger and a shortage of food took their toll on the family. His father, his brother and his elder sister's husband were all at the front. His sister and her children also found refuge under their father's roof. The still young Habil knew he was the family's only hope. In the morning he went off to school and continued to study and in the evenings worked at the Nacaf  bay Vazirov Agdas State Drama Theatre where he played the kamanca. During those tough years his favourite musical instrument became a real friend to him. It was thanks to the kamanca that he was able to bring home a wage. He lived with the hope that his elder brother Mahammadiyya would return from the front, and when he learned how his younger brother was looking after the family and providing them with a crust of bread, he would be proud of him… But one day, instead of his elder brother came terrible news. Death notices appeared at every door. They came from the front every day… In the evenings he would sit on the front steps of his house and play the kamanca. His tunes intermingled with the mournful cries of women who had lost their husbands, sons and fianc?s in the war. And his mother, too, wept bitter tears. He also recalled his brother Mahammadiyya, but was unable to cry. The despair in his soul and his grief poured out in his playing.

When the war was over his sister's husband also came back home. He took his family and moved to the village of Mazrali in Imisli District. Habil Aliyev went along, too.  Although still damaged by the wounds of war, people had already begun holding wedding parties. Habil joined the ashug Husanli's group. He sent the money he earned at the wedding parties to his mother. He could not stay in Mazrali for long and in 1947 he returned to Agdas and began working as head of a circle in the local Pioneers Home.

The "worldwide " kamanca

He arrived in Baku in 1952 and entered the kamanca faculty of Asaf Zeynalli's secondary professional music school and started to learn the secrets of the art of the mugam from the prominent tar player Qurban Pirimov and the singer Xan Susinski. Habil's talent was also noticed by the composer Soltan Hacibayov. He advised the young musician to work at the Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijani State Philharmonic Society, where he was artistic director. Habil Aliyev performed mugams and folk songs in front of the director of the philharmonic Samsi Badalbayli, the maestro Niyazi, Said Rustamov and Soltan Hacibayov. His performance met with their approval.  In 1953 Habil started accompanying a dance ensemble and then played in a trio accompanied by such prominent figures as Seyid Susinski, Xan Susinski, Haqiqat Rzayeva, Zulfu Adigozalov, Fatma Mehraliyeva, Sovkat Alakbarova, Mutallim Mutallimov and Sara Qadimova. 

Habil Aliyev's first television concert took place in 1961. He played with a new technique and his mugam "The Segah" caused wide debate. Later he presented in his own, unique style the "Bayati-Qacar", "Bayati-Shiraz", "Bastanigar", "Rahab", "Bayati-Kurd", "Cahargah", "Rast" and "Zabul".

At the end of 1950 Habil Aliyev had developed as a  skilled master of the kamanca, and as well as the republics of the then USSR he toured such places as Turkey, the US, Germany, Britain, France, India, Pakistan, Egypt and other countries. He became known not just as a prominent master of the kamanca but also as the writer of much-loved songs.

The worthy kamanca

The kamanca was also the reason for his meeting Sarqiyya, whom he married in 1954. Habil Aliyev saw her at a wedding in a village in Qabala District (then Kuktas). He found out who she was and from what family. They got married and had three daughters and a son.

At the height of his fame he was still a young man. Not everyone is capable of remaining like Habil Aliyev. He was loved, made famous and people were proud of him. Poetry was devoted to him and books written about him. Artists painted his portrait, sculptures made busts, his portraits have decorated carpets and a documentary film was made about him. The symphonic work "Habilsayaghi", which the famous composer Firangiz Alizada dedicated to Aliyev, gained success in the concert halls not only of Azerbaijan but many other countries, too.

During his long career Habil Aliyev has accompanied many distinguished singers with his kamanca. He gained great satisfaction performing on stage with talented performers with beautiful voices. However, sometimes he has been forced to accompany mediocre singers. Although he rescued them with his magnificent playing of the kamanca, it left a bitter taste in his heart.

Habil Aliyev received all honorary titles and state awards. He became a Merited Artist in 1964 and a People's Artist in 1978.  But it was the people who presented him with his first "honorary title". He was called "Habil Kaman" for his boundless love for the kamanca. While he was still alive the music school in Agdas was named after him.

The Azerbaijani kamanca

The protection, preservation and development of moral values are all part of the struggle in the name of the people. In this regard Habil Aliyev is a hero of his people. He had no time for those who tried to pass off the kamanca as an Armenian musical instrument, and especially at a time when the majority of the exponents of this instrument were Armenians. As Habil Aliyev himself said: "The instrument is ours, the art is ours but the performers are Armenians. Our young people learnt Azerbaijani music from the Armenians." At the time he did not know about the true nature of the Armenians. He trusted them. One day, he gave his kamanca to an Armenian to replace the vellum on it. The Armenian planed down the wooden part of the instrument, apparently to make the kamanca sound better. This was done especially to make Habil Aliyev part with his beloved instrument. But he couldn't stay long without his faithful friend that had accompanied him during the hardest of times and brought him fame and recognition and was a part of his whole being.

After this treacherous blow he became more cautious. He wouldn't trust his instrument to people he didn't know. Only a great maestro like Habil Aliyev could rap the knuckles of Armenians playing the kamanca, trying to pass off this musical instrument as their own and doing all they could to achieve this. None of them was bold enough to confront the talent of the prominent master of the kamanca.

Since he was young he had been able to stand alongside great masters of the arts of indisputable authority. Many people have been upset by his plain-speaking and intransigence. But they have also had to stay silent and treat him with caution.  After all, no-one wanted to be the subject of Habil Aliyev's conversations, later to turn into anecdotes. And he loved to make jokes. Sometimes his colleagues found it difficult to decide whether he was being serious or joking. He could make a joke out of what he believed was right. Although he never resorted to barbed criticism, there was always an element of  sincerity in everything he said.

The ingenious kamanca

This is from a story by Habil Aliyev himself: "It was the 1960s. First Secretary of the [Communist Party] Central Committee Vali Axundov had organized a party at Intourist for a government delegation from Iran. Abulfat Aliyev sang, Mammadaq Muradov played the tar, I played the kamanca and Roza Calilova danced. Our performance pleased the guests greatly, they applauded long and sang our praises.  At the end of the event, the director of the Philharmonic, the composer Tofiq Quliyev, came up to us and said: 'Thanks, everyone. You've done us proud! I shall express my gratitude tomorrow. If you can perform so well, why remain ordinary soloists in the Philharmonic? Tomorrow I shall issue an order on your release. Go and play at the Azkontsert. Earn good money! What's the point of staying here earning peanuts?' We thought Tofiq muallim was joking. But the next day everyone was released from the Philharmonic."

…The day arrived when the kamanca became too much of a burden for the old maestro's weakening hands. He was no longer able to play. Along with old age came various illnesses and heartaches and thoughts of death. But he carried on joking, even turning his heartaches into a joke: "I was having tea in a tea-house when a man came up and said: 'Habil muallim, I'm pleased to have met you. I heard you have gallstones. I'll treat you with grass.' He pulled a handful of dry grass from his bag, gave it to me and told me how to use it. I asked him: 'My dear fellow, are you a doctor or do you just treat with grass?' He said: 'Oh, yes, Habib muallim, I'm a vet…'"

And here's another joke by the great maestro: "When I die let my wife play my kamanca if she can. But I fear that after this the kamanca will go out of fashion, and they won't even keep it in the museum. So let it stand and rot in the corner." But this was a sad joke…

He was 88 years of age and old age had taken him. And although it brought terrible pain it could not break his spirit. He remained young at heart. Probably, it is not given to everyone to grow old like Habil Aliyev…

Habil Aliyev died on 8 September this year, but his memory will remain in our hearts for ever.