A-PDFOutstanding Split DEMO : Purchase Azerbaijanis from www.A-PDF.com to remove the watermark

22 www.irs-az.com The One Without

EqualNatavan Faiq

The life of a genius, as a rule, is short and tragic. Maybe this is the reason why they are so generous in their creative work and why they are in such a hurry to pass the treasures of their spirit to their off- spring - treasures not always valued in life. Vagif Mustafazadeh was not an exception…

www.irs-az.com 23 Outstanding Azerbaijanis

Young Vagif Vagif Mustafazade and David Koyfman

ecollections of him mix up of the of the world of George Gershwin to two feelings - pride and bitter- Union, because he has not complet- the visible urban forms of his com- ness. Pride in the composer, ed higher education’… position Bu gün (Today), from the R I remember his smile very well. I plays by Thelonious Monk to the experimental pianist and musician with a name which critics link in prin- remember how he took his daugh- incomprehensible dept of harmony ciple to a new direction in jazz based ter to school - this was sometime of Seven Beauties by Gara Garayev. on an Azerbaijani tonal system. But in the middle of the 70s. It is nec- In these movements Mustafazadeh the bitterness does not require deci- essary to see how he said farewell trusts in himself: neither in one thing, phering. to her - during the whole long day, nor in parts of seconds does he lose News of his demise was heard how he bent down, carefully laced the subtle mastery of the improviser, like thunder from heaven! Vagif, with up her boots and adjusted the hair- carefully intertwining the originality his unique a little guilty smile and his grip in her hair… Finally, kissed her and freshness of his musical style in constant leather jacket adorning the cheek and moved off repeatedly the fabric of the classic works of jazz’. TV evenings of Baku inhabitants (as turning around after her. Reaching His extravagant performance al- leader of the, at the time, super-pop- the gates of the school, he suddenly ways caused a storm of delight. The ular vocal ensemble Sevil) - dead?! called to her: ’And did I forget any- room froze and listened with rever- And I still recall the article in one thing?’ – screwing up his eyes – sly ent attention, when he, Vagif, creat- of the central newspapers in which I person. The daughter shook her ed his in every case inimitable inter- heard that thunder rolled out which head and after that he ran up to her pretation. For this the depths of the rolled across the country then. Before and kissed her again and then left… piano seemed to reveal something and After the Obituary – as it was It is impossible to say that he was special, up to now unprecedented, called. It began with the publication passed over because not a little has in force of spirit and in force of per- of a statement by Vagif Mustafazadeh been written about him, but mostly - sonality. He, like nobody else was containing a request to accept him as as a pianist and promoter of jazz mu- able to subordinate his furious virtu- a member of the Composers’ Union sic. Here is one of the reviews from osity, placing it at the service of intel- of the Republic. Below, a reference that year of his solo concert: ‘Thanks lect and energy. This was a genuine which was in essence a verdict was to brilliant technique and high ar- musical talent, with an astonishing given: ‘The administration of the CU tistic diapason Mustafazadeh, like a temperament varying from poetic of Azerbaijan abstained from admit- manipulator, moved the audience in and lyrical to indomitably explosive. ting V. Mustafazadeh as a member the time and space of jazz, from the A star of world jazz… Was he a romantic, covered delicate lyricism star? He absolutely was, but his

24 www.irs-az.com stardom was no match for that of today – who, with the aim of reminding society of themselves, periodically need a sensation and need a scandal – shocking be- haviour which attracts attention. Vagif could do without all of this. But then we, his listeners, could not do without him. Fascinating in his un- pretentious simplicity the boy from the Fortress (Icherisheher) - such will he always remain in our memories, modest, passing spiritually undam- aged through the temptation of fame... And, indeed, what would it have been – fame? Originality frightens. People have always treated the unusual and new with suspicion. Incomprehension Vagif Mustafazade and Tofig Guliyev results in hostility, harsh evaluation, hatred and malice. And individual- Monaco in 1979. Vagif was the first Envious people were ‘working’ inde- ity - this then is to see differently and composer of the Union at that time, fatigably. that, as is well-known, it is seldom conquering a seat in the high place And the children, they leave, welcomed. And it is only one step in that imposing forum. No, he was driven by the genetic fear of their from incomprehension to denial… not a novice to music but none the fate - the fate of children with great His, Vagif, brilliant compositions less a place in the directory of the parents. Because they remember which today provide inspiration for Composers’ Union could not be it - the estrangement zone… They the whole musical world, thus was found for him… remember this absolute, cosmic, icy not permitted across the threshold He is today spoken about as an solitude. And they do not believe in of the Composers’ Union. ’Has not epoch in the cultural life of the peo- our repentance. Like they also do not completed higher’… It is possible to ple, but in those times as a person believe in the moving revelations of think that these words are about a with an ‘incomplete’ education… ‘recollecting friends’ who alleged novice in music. At that time he had During that merciless stagnation not that they foretold his greatness dur- written not a small number of works, only hair-splitting decided the ver- ing the life of this artist. And ‘the rev- well-known to us in the country and dict but also number crunching. elations’ are these - no more than il- performed in Poland, France and But on the other hand, today we luminated fantasies. other countries. Only the all-union rain down grateful wrath on their Arthur Kestler said - ‘The more company Melody had published ten children who do not wish to return original the discovery, the more obvi- records with him performing his own to the homeland. And you see they, ous it appears afterwards’. The exam- works. A few weeks before his death the direct witnesses to the Soviet ple of Vagif Mustafazadeh confirms his concert for piano and orchestra inquisition, have a right to be hurt. this. It appears to us, who have al- was presented for the appraisal of the They leave, in order not to repeat the ready got used to the fact that there great Azerbaijani conductor Niyazi. bitterness experienced by their par- is such a thing as Azerbaijani jazz, He collaborated with theatres and ents and to avoid ills caused by no as if it has always existed. We com- wrote music for documentary films. less brilliant envious persons. But not pletely forget that for long years not V. Mustafazadeh’s work Əzizəni to notice, when it is impossible not to one of the non-American performers gözləyərkən (Expecting Aziza) was notice - this is not easy! This is also a could really declare themselves, to performed for the first time at the gift. But how is it possible ‘to not no- say something fundamentally new VII International Competition for tice’ the stunningly furious avalanche in jazz. In a word, the elite forefathers Composers of Jazz Compositions in of passages by Vagif Mustafazadeh?! of the genre appeared to be inacces- www.irs-az.com 25 Outstanding Azerbaijanis

He was a titan of creativity and completely helpless against that which is called life. Like all God-given talents he was not practical and sometimes so completely helpless in decisions of the most elementary of life problems. Vulnerable chronic everyday despondency brought in- ner discomfort and he searched for work inwardly with that, in order to refine a notorious piece… And life within the limit of nervous tension - it is inevitably doomed to a dramatic interruption. Vagif died in Tashkent. Straight on the stage, at the piano. Əzizəni gözləyərkən (Expecting Aziza) - that was the name of his parting compo- sition - dedicated to his daughter. ‘Art does not have a result but the act of creation itself’ - say the French. Thinking about that already distant concert, you understand the un- doubted truth of these words. In the event, with Vagif the act of Vagif Mustafazade and his daughter Aziza creation was an act of sacrifice, when the stage becomes a battle arena - sible bastions. This today, thanks to repeat the expressions used by mas- life and death… alas! the work of V. Mustafazadeh, exists ters of world jazz music about him. It is already almost a quarter of and the term Azerbaijani jazz is offi- In the course of one evening a meta- a century without him with us - in cially included in musical catalogues. morphosis in peoples’ perception 1980 the heart of this original and It is exactly him, Vagif, that we are in- took place: the Honoured Art Worker tragic person stopped. The Master, debted to for this phenomenon. of the Republic V. Mustafazadeh sud- in whose virtuoso improvisations We only realised the large scale denly grew into a phenomenon of mugham has received a new contin- of the losses a year after his death – I world significance. Thus the fellow uation and new life, is no more. He remember that National TV prepared countrymen learnt the true value of died at the time of the highest blos- a transmission dedicated to the an- their contemporary. soming of his exceptional talent. He niversary of his death. No, of course The famous American musician was then nearly 40... he knew success in life. Success ac- and critic V. Conover wrote about him Baku always distinguished itself companied his every appearance. ‘Mustafazadeh is a first rate pianist, to for its responsiveness to jazz culture. His popularity grew astonishingly whom it is difficult to find an equal And today many musicians are still quickly in the former USSR, as well as in lyrical jazz’. He is the most lyrical working in this fading genre. There outside it. His improvisations, which pianist that I have ever heard’. And are among them real masters of their were drawn from luxurious national this is what the Swedish jazz pianist art and their jazz is of a high stand- melos, were heard on radio and TV. B. Johansson said about Vagif’s com- ard and not lacking in creative imagi- But only after his death did he appear positions: ’His music is surprisingly nation. But I think that they do not before us in full creative greatness - modern but at the same time it con- carry – only V. Mustafazadeh set the strictly, genuine recognition began veys the secrets of ancient Caucasian bar so incredibly high that to hear with the posthumous transmission melodies, extolled poets not of a sin- them, even the very talented, is not about him. He began to be called ’the gle generation. This is the tale which enough. It is that special an individu- founder of Azerbaijani jazz’ and to Sheherezade told on the 1002 night!’

26 www.irs-az.com ality and genuine artistry. It can – be- bars. Because the artistic skill is not I pass the Bulbul Music School where cause jazz is perhaps not a product the Inspiration. someone is taught, a scene springs of mass production created for the He enclosed many hypostases in up again and again before my eyes gratification of the average man. We his art - composer, arranger, perform- like a miraculous mirage - Vagif hur- saw a different jazz and another jazz- er and improviser. But I think that his rying to the lesson with his little man, a person who was inflamed by most important contribution is that daughter in the second class.. And jazz and burned himself out – utterly! he was the image of the Azerbaijani a little later - smiling and addressing And works in a jazz-style (or pseu- jazzman! his daughter: ‘Did I forget anything?’. dojazz) - are different from the first Years have passed. But every time www.irs-az.com 27