Jabbar Garyagdioglu
Encyclopedia
Jabbar Garyagdioglu or Garyaghdyoglu ( pronounced dʒɑpˈbɑɾ ɡɑɾjɑɣdɯoɣˈlu) (March 31, 1861, Shusha
– 20 April 1944, Baku
) was an Azerbaijan
i folk singer (khananda
). He is known as the first khananda to perform mugham
ats in the Azeri language.
r. His stagename Garyagdioglu literally translates from Azeri as Son of Snow-Has-Fallen. According to an urban legend, Jabbar's father Meshadi Ismayil was an extremely reserved and taciturn man and as a result, would often be asked in an idiomatic way, common to Azeri: "Why are you so gloomy? Has the snow fallen?" Therefore he was nicknamed Garyagdi (Anglicisation
of qar yağdı - "snow has fallen").
Despite his father's plans, Jabbar did not take up his business and decided to become a singer. His older brother, an amateur folk singer, played an important role in young Jabbar's passion for music. In 1871–1876 Garyagdioglu attended school where he took vocal lessons, studied the theory of music and the Persian language
. While still in his teens, he was accepted into the ensemble of the notable musician Sadigjan
. Until age 20, he performed primarily in his native Karabakh
, but soon he became famous in other parts of the South Caucasus
, and later would make tours to Iran
and Central Asia
.
and other prominent musicians he founded a club in the Baku suburb of Balakhany and would give charity concerts to support the poor. Between 1906 and 1912 he visited Kiev
, Moscow
and Warsaw
together with other Azeri khanandas, where a vinyl recording of his performance was made. On his way back from Warsaw, he and his ensemble gave a successful two-day Oriental concert in Moscow. Garyagdioglu mostly sang in Azeri and Persian, however some mughamats were performed in Georgian, Armenian, Uzbek, and Turkmen. For 20 years, he was accompanied by sazanda
s Gurban Pirimov
(tar
) and Sasha Ohanezashvili (kamancheh
).
In 1916, he appeared in the Azeri film Neft va milyonlar saltanatinda ("In the Realm of Oil and Millions"). After Sovietization
, he taught classical music at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire and was the soloist of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society. During his long musical career, he collected and recorded around 500 folks songs and tunes, which became part of the conservatoire's record library.
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
– 20 April 1944, 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 folk singer (khananda
Khananda
A khananda is a name generally given to singers of mugham, an Azeri folk music genre. The word is of Persian origin and means "singer"...
). He is known as the first khananda to perform 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....
ats in the Azeri language.
Rise to prominence
He was born in the Seyidlar neighbourhood of Shusha, to a family of a dyeDye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
r. His stagename Garyagdioglu literally translates from Azeri as Son of Snow-Has-Fallen. According to an urban legend, Jabbar's father Meshadi Ismayil was an extremely reserved and taciturn man and as a result, would often be asked in an idiomatic way, common to Azeri: "Why are you so gloomy? Has the snow fallen?" Therefore he was nicknamed Garyagdi (Anglicisation
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
of qar yağdı - "snow has fallen").
Despite his father's plans, Jabbar did not take up his business and decided to become a singer. His older brother, an amateur folk singer, played an important role in young Jabbar's passion for music. In 1871–1876 Garyagdioglu attended school where he took vocal lessons, studied the theory of music and the Persian language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. While still in his teens, he was accepted into the ensemble of the notable musician Sadigjan
Sadigjan
Sadigjan , also spelled Sadikhjan or Sadiqjan, born Sadig Asadoglu , was an Azerbaijani tar-player known for developing the Azeri tar from the Iranian tar.-Life and Fame:...
. Until age 20, he performed primarily in his native Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
, but soon he became famous in other parts of the South Caucasus
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
, and later would make tours to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
.
Later life
In 1901, Garyagdioglu moved to the oil-booming Baku that at the time was rapidly becoming an important social and cultural city of the region. Together with Uzeyir HajibeyovUzeyir 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 other prominent musicians he founded a club in the Baku suburb of Balakhany and would give charity concerts to support the poor. Between 1906 and 1912 he visited Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
together with other Azeri khanandas, where a vinyl recording of his performance was made. On his way back from Warsaw, he and his ensemble gave a successful two-day Oriental concert in Moscow. Garyagdioglu mostly sang in Azeri and Persian, however some mughamats were performed in Georgian, Armenian, Uzbek, and Turkmen. For 20 years, he was accompanied by sazanda
Sazanda
A sazanda or sazandar is one of the three musicians in the traditional ensemble of instrumentalists performing mugham along with a singer . The word means "builder" in Persian...
s Gurban Pirimov
Gurban Pirimov
Gurban Bakhshali oglu Primov was an Azerbaijani folk musician and tar-player.-Life and career:...
(tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
) and Sasha Ohanezashvili (kamancheh
Kamancheh
The kamānche or kamāncha is a Persian bowed string instrument related to the bowed rebab, the historical ancestor of the kamancheh and also to the bowed lira of the Byzantine Empire, ancestor of the European violin family. The strings are played with a variable-tension bow: the word "kamancheh"...
).
In 1916, he appeared in the Azeri film Neft va milyonlar saltanatinda ("In the Realm of Oil and Millions"). 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....
, he taught classical music at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire and was the soloist of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society. During his long musical career, he collected and recorded around 500 folks songs and tunes, which became part of the conservatoire's record library.