Artists

Alim Qasimov Ensemble

image of Alim Qasimov Ensemble The legendary Art of Mugham

Alim Qasimov is by means the scion of a noble family. He was born in 1957 in the small town of Shamakha, about 100 km from Baku, capitol of the Republic of Azerbaijan. “When I was a little boy, my parents noticed my musical talent” relates Qasimov, “but they were poor people and they did no have the necessary means to buy me an instrument. So my father killed one of his goats and made me a frame-drum.” Qasimov made himself a lute at the age of eleven out of an aluminum dish, some nails and electric cables. Later, he accompanied a relative, who played accordion at toi, or wedding celebrations. “My voice was praised. At first I did not believe it, but when I was persuaded to take part in the auditions for the Musiki Mektebi, a mugham school in Baku.” He passed the examination and studied the mugham repertoire of Azerbaijan under renowned teachers. He also learned the singing techniques and the art of improvisation. At the age of 25 he won the Djabbar-Qarjaghdioghlu singing competition and was hailed as the finest singer of his generation. Yet Qasimov was not content with what he had learned. He continued to seek new directions in the interpretation of the mugham repertoire. “Some people say that this destroys the music, but it it not a piece of furniture that you simply set down somewhere,” he says, “the world in which we live demands this; it is also changing. I have learned this music day and night and I know how to appreciate it.”