Death at the piano

In 1979, an unusual jazz festival was held in the European principality of Monaco. The name and country of each artist participating in this music competition are kept secret from the judges. After the day-long competition of more than a hundred jazz musicians in noisy Monte Carlo, the winner of the "White Grand Piano" award is announced: Vagif Mustafazade! However, composer and pianist Vagif Mustafazade, the creator of Jaz-Mugam, who brought innovation to world jazz music, does not know that he is the winner of this competition. Because the jazzman, returning from the world jazz festival held in Monte-Carlo, on December 16, 1979, while giving a concert in Tashkent, said goodbye to life on the stage during the performance. After he finishes playing the composition "Waiting for Aziza", which he composed for the celebration of his little daughter Aziza, like a madman, he lowers his head on the keys of the piano. The host, suspicious of the state of the jazzman, who does not raise his head after the continuous applause of the audience, approaches him and... Vagif is no more! The big curtain of the stage comes down. a heavy curtain forever separates the 39-year-old jazz master from the stage and our world.Vagif Mustafazade has been moving into the hearts of millions with his personality and music.
Modern-avant-garde concerts Vagif Mustafazade was born on March 16, 1940 in Baku, Icherisheher, in the family of a military doctor. Due to the separation of his parents, little Vagif has to grow up under the care of his mother, a lonely teacher who teaches piano at a music school. His mother, Mrs. Zivar Khanum, who learned mugham art from Uzeyir Hajibeyov, became his first music teacher. In 1963, he graduated from the music college named after Asaf Zeynalli and entered the Baku Academy of Music. Vagif, who studied at the academy, organizes modern-avant-garde style concerts in clubs. Vagif prefers classical jazz music, blues and playful music in his piano performances. The local radio and television company does not let the innovative composer create unique music by mixing classical jazz and the rhythm of the Old City - mugam. Although the admirers of the wonderful jazz-mugham performer are increasing, conservative mugham supporters criticize him and throw stones at him in the press. Vagif married the vocalist Narmina Khanim, with whom he performed at jazz nights, and from this marriage, a daughter named Lala was born in 1965.

Jazz-69" As the fame of the jazz-mugham master, who was invited to various cities of the USSR to organize concerts, grew, the ice against him in his homeland slowly began to warm and melt. Due to the undeniable phenomenon of Vagif Mustafazade, world jazzmen gathered in 1969 for the "Jazz-69" festival in Baku, the birthplace of the genius performer. His wife Elsa, who is a friend of Vagif during his difficult days, does not leave him alone even for a moment, she stands behind all the successes of the jazzman with love. Vagif Mustafazade has been leading the "Orero" ensemble since 1964, the "Caucasus" jazz trio, the "Leyli" and "Sevil" women's vocal instrumental ensembles, and the "Mugam" instrumental ensembles since 1964, despite the busy life of a composer, competitions and long trips. In 1968, the jazzman organized concerts in several cities of the USSR, and in 1970, along with the famous singers Rashid Behbudov and M. Taghiyev, went on tour in Latin American countries.
1002nd night In 1978, Vagif Mustafazade captivated the audience by appearing on stage with his eight-year-old daughter Aziza at the jazz festival held in Tbilisi and won the title of "The Greatest Pianist". Immediately after the death of the jazz mugham master, the famous Willis Conover, the host of the "Jazz Time" program on the "Voice of America" ​​radio station, dedicated the entire program to the memory of Vagif. The brilliant pianist Vagif Mustafazade, who created a new kind of music by synthesizing our national mugham with classical American jazz music, was awarded the State Prize of Azerbaijan in 1982 after his death. The names of Vagif Mustafazade and his daughter Aziza Mustafazade are engraved in the book "Encyclopedia of World Jazz" under the signature of the American editors. I want to end my writing with the words of the world-famous Swedish pianist Johansson: "A mysterious, ancient Caucasian melody also flows from Vagif's music, which is quite modern. When you listen to it, you feel as if you are listening to the tale of the 1002nd night of Shahrizad..."