Azerbaijani Love Songs

As you might suspect if you’re familiar with the instrumental music of Azerbaijan, Azeri love songs are lyrical, heartfelt and rather wistful, with a distinctly Oriental character. There are a dozen singers featured on this album of 16 tracks. I find Miralam Miralamov, who opens the album, over-operatic in style, but there are some treasures here to follow. It’s good to hear mugham singer Gochag Askarov performing lighter repertoire, although these romantic songs merge into mugham and vice versa. It’s the more reflective performers who stand out, particularly Eldaniz Mammadov, who sings the beautiful ‘Banovsha’ (Violet), and the marvellous, young Ravana Arabova, who sings a slow, brooding version of ‘Getme-Getme’ (Don’t Go Away). She’s surely a name to watch.

There are two nasty folk-orchestra performances, but most of the songs are accompanied by small instrumental groups with tar (lute), kamancha (fiddle), balaban (reedy oboe) and percussion, which all enhance the mood of the music. The disc ends with the young Kamila Nabiyeva, the winner of a TV talent competition, in the popular, but wistful ‘Sari Gelin’ (Blonde Girl), which has been called the ‘national song of Azerbaijan.’