CULTURE
Azerbaijani mugham performed in Oslo
Baku, November 5, AZERTAC
A unique genre blending throaty song with a special trio of instruments - mugham, was performed in Norway as part of the Oslo World Music Festival. Azerbaijan`s mugham singer, People's Artist Alim Gasimov and his daughter Fargana Gasimova gave a solo concert in Jacob's Church, one of the most prominent venues in Oslo.
Norwegian Ambassador to Baku Bard Ivar Svendsen, local musicians, arts and cultural figures, representatives of diaspora and Azerbaijani students studying there attended the concert organized in collaboration with Norwegian Azerbaijanis Youth Organization (NAYO), House of Oslo-Azerbaijan and the organizing committee of the festival.
The Oslo World Music Festival is a six-day festival that presents world music of all kinds. In the course of the festival more than 300 artists from all corners of the world play different concert venues in the centre of Oslo.
Oslo World Music Festival usually takes place in the end of October and beginning of November – in many ways the perfect time for a festival like this.
The festival started as a collaboration between the Nordic countries. As the other countries pulled out, and the festival in Oslo increased, the festival changed to its current name in 2002. The festival was formerly part of Rikskonsertene, but became an independent foundation in January 2012. The aim has constantly been to create an interest and understanding for the values that are inherent in the cultural expressions of others.
Each year, artists from almost every corner of the world are present, and many well-known musicians have visited Oslo for the very first time as a result of the festival. In recent years, the festival has focused on presenting music from great cities all over the world, with the ambition of reaching a broad, music-loving, curious public. The flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia performed a concert in 2006. During the 2012 festival, more than 300 artists from all around the world performed on 14 different venues in Oslo in a variety of genres including Chaabi, African jazz, samba, French chanson, electronica and hip hop. With the 2013 festival, the 20th anniversary was celebrated, presenting artists from all over the world performing music like flamenco, Nigerian soul, fado, electronica, hip hop and dessert blues, on 18 different venues all over Oslo.