BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 24. On May 24, the 8th
“Kharibulbul” International Music Festival commenced in the city of
Shusha. The event is organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and
the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.
This year’s edition of the festival is dedicated to the 140th
anniversary of the birth of the great Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir
Hajibeyli, in accordance with the presidential order signed by
President Ilham Aliyev to commemorate Hajibeyli’s jubilee.
The opening concert was held on the Jidir Duzu plain and began
with a performance of Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s “Ey Vətən.” In addition to
Hajibeyli’s works, compositions by Arif Malikov, Asaf Zeynalli,
Afrasiyab Badalbayli, Fikrat Amirov, Gara Garayev, Muslim
Magomayev, Niyazi, Ogtay Zulfugarov, and Tofig Guliyev were also
performed.
As in previous years, the festival features not only Azerbaijani
artists but also music ensembles and solo performers from other
countries. One of the festival’s primary goals is to foster
cultural dialogue, encourage the exchange of ideas among
professionals, and support the creativity of young musicians.
The opening concert included performances by artists from
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye.
On May 25, the second day of the festival, a concert by renowned
Azerbaijani singer Polad Bulbuloglu will be held on the Jidir Duzu
plain, accompanied by the Uzeyir Hajibeyli State Symphony Orchestra
under the baton of Murtuza Bulbul.
Later that same day, another concert will take place on the
Jidir Duzu plain, featuring students from the Faculty of Arts of
Garabagh University, who will perform works by Azerbaijani and
international composers.
Named after the symbolic flower of Shusha, the “Kharibulbul”
Music Festival was first held in 1989. During the years of the
Karabakh conflict, major concerts were organized in the cities of
Aghdam, Barda, and Aghjabadi. Following Azerbaijan’s historic
victory in the Patriotic War, the festival has returned to its
original venue—Shusha.
