P.36-39. Chingiz Sadykhov
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“Visions of Azerbaijan”.-2010.-July-August.-p.36-39. Chingiz Sadykhov - celebrated east and west - by Dilshad Aliyarli When renowned Azerbaijani pianist Chingiz Sadykhov, now domiciled in the USA, celebrated his 80th birthday last year, he was not short of well-wishers, some of them quite illustrious. Representatives of the Azerbaijani Diaspora, as well as other music lovers throughout the United States, congratulated the musician and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi joined them. "No doubt you are a great source of pride to the people of Azerbaijan, but also much beloved by music lovers worldwide. We are proud in San Francisco to be your home city, as we pride ourselves on being a center for culture and the arts" says her letter. A Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition was also presented to the maestro. Chingiz Sadykhov graduated from the Bulbul Musical School in Baku and the Azerbaijani State Conservatoire. He continued his studies for a Ph.D. degree at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow, under Professor Goldenveyser. He then returned to Baku where he lived until 1994 before emigrating, to the USA. He has spent much of his career accompanying Azerbaijan´s most prominent singers, including Bulbul, who founded Azerbaijan´s professional vocal school, Rashid Behbudov, the most internationally known singer of the Soviet period, and Muslim Magomayev, one of the best-known Soviet-era pop stars. Asked how many songs he has in his repertoire, Chingiz muellim (muellim - an honorific meaning professor or doctor) admits that he wouldn´t know where to start counting. When planning a visit last year to San Francisco, I was determined to meet Chingiz Sadykhov. I had seen him on various previous occasions, but never talked to him. I called him from my hotel room and requested an interview. When he asked me what the occasion was, I didn´t know quite what to say. I just wanted to meet him informally, without official people or speeches. But he kindly agreed to see this uninvited quest from the East coast, saying: "Then let´s meet. At our place." As I rode in the taxi, I went over my notes, trying to formulate questions. But when Chingiz muellim opened the door and invited me into his apartment, my questions and notes disappeared. The table was set just as in Baku, with chocolate, fruits and homemade jam. That is something you miss in America – a fully equipped tea table for your quests. I soon felt quite at ease and we started to talk like friends of many years. D.A. Chingiz muellim how are you, are you happy living in San Francisco? Ch.S. I am very well, and very happy. My daughters and grandchildren are close by. I have four grandchildren. My two daughters are musicians. We get together every week. They live very close by, in San Jose. We decided when you get older it is important to be near your family. The youngsters have their business, Ceyran and I have our own activities, so we don´t bother each other. I moved here 15 years ago and I am still here. D.A. Yes, Chingiz muellim, why here? What attracted you to this place? Ch.S. It’s a long story. We had American friends. We met in Moscow, became friends and they invited us to San Francisco. We stayed here for three weeks, walking in the city a lot. When we came here from Baku we stayed at their place again. I was waiting for a Green Card. The U.S. admitted me with special immigration status, based on my academic and musical achievements. That´s why I was able to invite my older daughter here with her family. My younger daughter also moved here with her family. So the whole family wound up here. My older daughter is a professional pianist and the younger one is a violinist. Both of them are very good musicians. They were winners of Transcaucasia music festivals. But they have a further talent. Both of them are very good teachers. I really tried to be a good teacher, but I was not successful. I was approached several times by people who asked me to teach them music. I listened, but then I would say, "You know what, please move over and let me play". I continue to play music. Both of my daughters are teaching music in San Jose. I am very happy that they continue working in their professional field. Both Lala and Nargiz earn money for their work. D.A. Chingiz muellim, how about you? Can you submerge yourself in music? Ch.S. Absolutely. I have concerts here; people invite me to give concerts. I have given concerts in more than 40 cities in America. I was invited to Canada. Mostly it is the Azerbaijani Diaspora that invites me. But Americans also like to listen to our music, and I have played for American audiences. You know that I don´t play the piano like the kamancha, or tar. I keep the melody, but change the accompanying part, bringing it closer to modern melodies. And when Americans or other people listen to it, they recognize the tune and like it. They don´t think of Azerbaijani music as ethnic music; they accept it as a form of modern music. Once I saw an American woman crying during my performance. I asked her what had happened. She answered: "I love music and have listened to many different genres. But I have never heard anything like your music, which touches people’s hearts." I think that Azerbaijani music by its very nature comes from the heart. D.A. Chingiz muellim, do you keep up your Azerbaijani contacts? Ch.S. I have visited Baku six times during the 15 years I have lived in San Francisco. I have performed three concert programmes at the Baku Philharmonia. They were huge concerts. People don’t forget me in Baku, they still remember me. They love me there. The President awarded me a presidential pension. Then, when he learned that I didn´t have a house in Baku, he gave me one. I started to look at the pictures on the wall. One of them showed Chingiz Sadykhov in concert with Muslim Magomayev. "Probably in Russia", I thought. Chingiz muellim noticed my interest and started to explain. "I performed everywhere with Muslim. This is a picture from a concert in Russia. We just looked at each other on stage and then I started to play and he started to sing. We worked together for such a long time, that one glance was enough to cue each other. That was a great time!" D.A. You have spent your life among the most prominent Azerbaijani musicians. When you go back and think about those years and people, what do you recall? What do you feel? Ch.S. I remember everything and everybody. There isn’t a single singer who didn´t work with me, from Bulbul to very young singers. But there is one thing I always remember. At that time I was an artistic director for Azgoskonsert. Once the Minister of Culture called and said: "Heydar Aliyevich will have guests tonight. We should organize a good concert programme. I said ok. We also called Akif Islamzade. I really liked how he sang. He was singing with the folk music orchestra then. Suddenly he asked me if I could accompany him during the concert. I said ‘No, because you sing mugham and I do not play mugham.’ He told me that he was going to sing two folk songs: Sari Gelin and Aman Ovcu. "Just these two songs" he added. I tried to ask why, but he said he would tell me later. So I accompanied him on the piano. Heydar Aliyevich liked it very much; he invited Akif over and shook his hand. The concert was over and we took the bus home. Then I asked Akif "Could you tell me what was the secret behind your request? Why did you want me to accompany you? “He answered "You know Chingiz muellim, every singer in Azerbaijan has worked with you and then gone on to the big stage. So I also decided to seize this chance and become a famous singer." Ch.S. I remember that story very well. Let me tell you, there were many good singers in Baku and Azerbaijan, but there was no one like Akif. He was different. The value of a real artist, a real singer, a real musician, is that he or she is different. Akif was like that. He wasn´t like everybody else. Everybody else tried to be like him. I really liked his singing. D.A. Chingiz muellim, that means you welcome improvisation. Ch.S. Not just welcome, my music life is all about improvisation. If I record something for radio or TV, I only do one take. Otherwise I would change it, because I would play something different on the second take. D.A. What do you think about improvisation in our ethnic music traditions like mugham? Many people don’t get it, they reject it. What is your opinion? Ch.S. I do not play mugham. I am familiar theoretically with mugham, because I was trained as a professional musician. I first graduated from the Conservatoire in Baku, and then I was in Moscow and took instruction from the great Goldenveyser. So, as a professional musician I know mugham and its components. But I can´t play mugham at a professional level. When I do play it, I usually add some improvisation.