Azerbaijani folk music
| Music of Azerbaijan | |
|---|---|
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| General topics | |
| Genres | |
| Specific forms | |
| Traditional music | |
| Subgenres | |
| Media and performance | |
| Music festivals | |
| Music media | Medeniyyet TV |
| Nationalistic and patriotic songs | |
| National anthem | March of Azerbaijan |
Azerbaijani folk music (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Xalq Musiqisi) combines the distinct cultural values of all civilisations that have lived in Azerbaijan and Iranian Azerbaijan region.
Apart from the common music found all-around Azerbaijan, there are distinct types of folk music, sometimes related to the history or simply the taste of the specific places.
Most songs recount stories of real life events and Azerbaijani folklore, or have developed through song contests between troubadour poets. Corresponding to their origins, folk songs are usually played at weddings, funerals and special festivals.
Regional folk music generally accompanies folk dances, which vary significantly across regions. The regional mood also affects the subject of the folk songs, e.g. folk songs from the Caspian Sea are lively in general and express the customs of the region. Songs about betrayal have an air of defiance about them instead of sadness, whereas the further south travelled in Azerbaijan the more the melodies resemble a lament.
As this genre is viewed as a music of the people, musicians in socialist movements began to adapt folk music with contemporary sounds and arrangements in the form of protest music.
The process of fusion between American musical styles and Azerbaijani folk can also be seen as the origin of Azerbaijani pop music, which attempted to elevate folk music through greater musicianship, or compositional and arrangement skills.
Plucked stringed instruments include the lute-like saz, chang, gopuz, tar and oud, originally barbat, and the dulcimer-like qanún (also sometimes hammered). Bowed stringed instruments include the kamancha.
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Wikipedia