Alim Qasimov

Alim Qasimov
Alim Qasimov performing at Eurovision Song Contest 2012
Background information
Birth name	Alim Həmzə oğlu Qasımov
Born	(1957-08-14) August 14, 1957 (age 59) Nabur, Qobustan, Azerbaijani SSR
Origin	Shamakhi, Azerbaijan
Genres	Mugham
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Singing, Daf
Years active	1977–present
Associated acts	Farghana Qasimova, Hajibaba Huseynov, Aghakhan Abdullayev, Aygün Kazımova

Alim Hamza oglu Qasimov (Azerbaijani: Alim Həmzə oğlu Qasımov; born August 14, 1957) is an Azerbaijani musician and one of the foremost mugham singers in Azerbaijan. He was awarded the International Music Council-UNESCO Music Prize in 1999, one of the highest international accolades for music. His music is characterized by his vocal improvisation and represents a move away from the traditional style of mugham. Qasimov has recorded nine albums, three of which are mugham albums with his daughter, Farghana Qasimova.

According to The New York Times, "Alim Qasimov is simply one of the greatest singers alive, with a searing spontaneity that conjures passion and devotion, contemplation and incantation."

He joined fellow Azerbaijani, Sabina Babayeva on stage at the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku to sing back vocals for her entry, "When the Music Dies." Additionally, Qasimov was featured as part of the opening act of the Grand Final.

Born in 1957, Qasimov grew up in Nabur of Qobustan, Azerbaijan, a village 100 km north of the capital Baku. His family worked on a Soviet commune and Qasimov worked alongside his parents from a young age. He later reflected that growing up in poverty helped him to live modestly later in life and he never attempted to extricate himself from his peasant background. Qasimov's father was an occasional singer with a good voice but he was a humble man; he never pursued a professional career in singing. Qasimov on the other hand was a keen singer from a young age and his parents noticed his musical desire. Lacking the money to buy him an instrument, his father used a frame and a goat's stomach lining to make a crude drum for his son.