Music History is one of the very bright sights featuring Nakhchivan - a region which gave Azerbaijan many famous scientists, enlighteners, politicians, militarians and talented artistic individuals as well.

Nakhchivan's Music History takes start from the most ancient times. Still living and beloved yallyh-dancing from Sharur roots in the 5th millennium B.C. Now old people remember over 100 different yallyh-dancing styles, which had been selected during many-many centuries and kept for newer generations. Now about 20 of these styles are being danced. Some of them are named in relation to a village name (Garkhun, Kechili, Arynj, Khanagha) while others - to a melody author's name (Sarkhanyh etc.). "Sharur" dancing group has experience of performing of this traditional yallyh-dances at numerous international folklore festivals, including festivals in Baku, Moscow, Germany, Hungary, Polonia.

Gara-Zurna and Tulum-Zurna (bagpipes). Click picture to hear the instruments.

Besides yallyh-dancing, there is a strong love to a traditional oriental musical trio - mugam. Performing experience of many generations at Nakhchivan's concerts halls and musical occasions had caused growing up of talented mugam-musicians, both instrumentalists and singers. Famous mugam-singers ("khanandeh") and mugam specialists from Nakhchivan, such as Mashadi Asad, Hasangulu, Idris, tar-player ("tarzan") Kamil Abdullayev, tar-player and composer Vahid Akhundov, known tar-player and pedagogue Safar Rajabli, composer Mammad Mammadov and many others - all they were famous musicians of their times; each of them made his huge contribution to development of the National musical culture.

All Azerbaijanis over the world love the folk song "Rains had taken my Sarah away". This famous song as well as many other folk songs and ashygh-singing motifs origin from Nakhchivan. Famous chahargah-player and composer Muradaga Nakhchivanlyh, who lived in the XVIII century, was very famous person of his times; many interesting episodes of the Music History of the Nakhchivan region are related to virtuoso of saz playing-n-singing Ag Ashyg Allahverdi Kosajanlyh and many other local musicians.

Ag Ashyg Allahverdi Kosajanlyh was an outstanding ustad (maestro) of the Azerbaijani ashygh-performing art. Born in Sharur county's village of Kosajan, he lived in XVIII century and was known for his specific artistic manner. It is interesting fact that Ashygh Alaskar, known as the top figure of the ashygh-performing art, was a student of Ashygh Alyh, while Ashigh Alyh himself had learned secrets of this art from Ag Ashyg Allahverdi Kosajanlyh. This fact confirms that the ashygh-performing art in the Sharur county always was being kept on a very high creative level.

Saz. The instrument of the Ashyg tradition

Such facts as Ag Ashygh's being a teacher for Ashyg Alyh, then, Ashyg Jalil's (author of the famous "Jalili" and "Gahramanyh" havajatyhs) being buried in this land, existance of various musical and poetic artworks and legends: dastan, ravayyet, goshma, bayatyh, garaylyh, muhammas, tajnis, ashyg melodies by Ashyg Ummulbanu, Ashyg Ali Khankhanym oglu, Fugara Mammad, Ashyg Nabat and dosens of other ashygs, who all were full with wise sayings - all this serves to confirm that the ashyg-performing art at Nakhchivan is rich and has glorious traditions.
Starting from the second half of the XIX century there had appeared a big number of talented ashyg-poets in many villages of Nakhchivan, Shahbuz, Ordubad and Sharur. They have created a lot of masterpieces of ashyg-poetry, including such poetic genres as goshma, bayatyh, garaylyh, muhammas, tajnis etc. Dastans and ravayyets by Ashyg Abbas Dahri from Ordubad's Dasta village, Ashyg Najafalyh from Shahbuz's Kiukiu village, Molla Ismayil from Ashaghyh Gyshlag village, Ashyg Mammadjafar from Kechili village - these masterpieces came to our times living in ashygs' voices, passing from one performer to another, keeping their intonations and nuances.
In Nakhchivan there are also many other musical traditions loved by people. Such instruments as gara-zurna, tutak, yan tutak, ney tulum, balaban can be heared at wedding ceremonies and different public cultural events.