Hagigat Rzayeva
Encyclopedia
Hagigat Ali qizi Rzayeva (20 May 1907, Lankaran
– 2 August 1969, Baku
) was an Azerbaijan
i actress and singer (folk
, opera
and pop
).
when she was eighteen months old. Her mother then married for the second time to a religious fanatic who often forbade Hagigat pursue her academic and artistic endeavours that in his view prevented her from conforming to an image of a "perfect Muslim girl." Nevertheless in 1917 she started attending Maryam Bayramalibeyova
's secular Uns School for Girls in Lankaran, where a variety of activities helped her acting and singing skills improve and develop. After Sovietization
, Rzayeva moved to Baku to receive a post-secondary degree in teaching. While acting in an amateur on-campus theatre she took interest in opera and professional dramatic arts. After being tested by composer Muslim Magomayev she was hired to the Azerbaijan Opera Theatre
against her family's will. It was then, at age twenty, that Rzayeva decided to completely abandon religious tradition and dedicate herself to acting despite uneasy terms with her relatives. She was admitted to the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire to study professional mugham
(Azeri folk music genre) and opera. For fifteen years she performed with opera singer Huseyngulu Sarabski
. In 1930 and 1934 she also appeared in three films. Hagigat Rzayeva was recognized as the People's Artist
of Azerbaijan in 1943 and continued acting in the Opera Theatre until her retirement in 1952. Her most famous roles are those of Arabzangi (Leyli and Majnun by Uzeyir Hajibeyov
) and Sanam (O olmasin, bu olsun by Uzeyir Hajibeyov).
She married Huseyn Rzayev, the stage manager of the Opera Theatre, and had three children. Their two sons pursued career in professional music while their daughter became a literature instructor at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire.
Lankaran
-History:The city was built on a swamp along the northern bank of the river bearing the city's name. There are remains of human settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period as well as ruins of fortified villages from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Lankaran's history is rather recent,...
– 2 August 1969, Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
) was an Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
i actress and singer (folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
).
Career
Hagigat Rzayeva was born in a small village near Lankaran (southeastern Azerbaijan). Her father died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
when she was eighteen months old. Her mother then married for the second time to a religious fanatic who often forbade Hagigat pursue her academic and artistic endeavours that in his view prevented her from conforming to an image of a "perfect Muslim girl." Nevertheless in 1917 she started attending Maryam Bayramalibeyova
Maryam Bayramalibeyova
Maryam Teymur qizi Bayramalibeyova was an Azerbaijani social activist and feminist.-Early life:...
's secular Uns School for Girls in Lankaran, where a variety of activities helped her acting and singing skills improve and develop. After Sovietization
Sovietization
Sovietization is term that may be used with two distinct meanings:*the adoption of a political system based on the model of soviets .*the adoption of a way of life and mentality modelled after the Soviet Union....
, Rzayeva moved to Baku to receive a post-secondary degree in teaching. While acting in an amateur on-campus theatre she took interest in opera and professional dramatic arts. After being tested by composer Muslim Magomayev she was hired to the Azerbaijan Opera Theatre
Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre
The Akhundov Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is a theatre in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was built in 1911.-History:...
against her family's will. It was then, at age twenty, that Rzayeva decided to completely abandon religious tradition and dedicate herself to acting despite uneasy terms with her relatives. She was admitted to the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire to study professional mugham
Mugham
Mugam also known as Azerbaijani Mugham is one of the many folk musical compositions from Azerbaijan, contrast with Tasnif, Ashugs. Mugam draws on Iranian-Arabic-Turkish Maqam....
(Azeri folk music genre) and opera. For fifteen years she performed with opera singer Huseyngulu Sarabski
Huseyngulu Sarabski
Huseyngulu Sarabski , born Huseyngulu Malik oglu Rzayev , was an Azerbaijani opera singer , composer, playwright, stage actor, theatre director, and musician .-Early life:...
. In 1930 and 1934 she also appeared in three films. Hagigat Rzayeva was recognized as the People's Artist
People's Artist
People's Artist is a honorary title in the Soviet Union, Union republics, in some other Eastern bloc states , as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, modeled after the title of the People's Artist of the USSR....
of Azerbaijan in 1943 and continued acting in the Opera Theatre until her retirement in 1952. Her most famous roles are those of Arabzangi (Leyli and Majnun by Uzeyir Hajibeyov
Uzeyir Hajibeyov
Uzeyir bey Abdul Hussein oglu Hajibeyov was an Azerbaijani and Soviet composer, conductor, publicist, playwright, teacher, translator, and social figure from Azerbaijan. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical music and opera...
) and Sanam (O olmasin, bu olsun by Uzeyir Hajibeyov).
She married Huseyn Rzayev, the stage manager of the Opera Theatre, and had three children. Their two sons pursued career in professional music while their daughter became a literature instructor at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire.