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The 100^th anniversary of People’s Artist, State Award laureate Tofik Guliyev took place at the Heydar Aliyev Center, November 7.

Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the jubilee evening.

The event was organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, following the Resolution of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev “On celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Tofik Guliyev”, dated 7 February 2017.

Before the ceremony, People’s Artist, rector of the Azerbaijan National Conservatoire Siyavush Kerimi and chairperson of the Composers Union, People’s Artist Firangiz Alizadeh shared with correspondents their views of Tofik Guliyev’s contribution to Azerbaijan’s music culture. It was noted that Tofik Guliyev’s songs are listened to every day, and listening to them makes us feel as if we are talking with the composer. His works have been performed by such musician-coryphaeus as Rashid Behbudov, Shovkat Alakbarova, as well as today’s young singers. As long as Azerbaijan exists, Tofik Guliyev’s music will continue to live.

To celebrate the composer’s jubilee, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has prepared a multimedia collection called “The heart beating with music”, dedicated to the creativity of People’s Artist Tofik Gouliyev.

Before the jubilee evening, presentation of the multimedia collection took place in the foyer of the Heydar Aliyev Center. Project’s head, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Anar Alakbarov said that the collection included comprehensive analysis of the creativity of Tofik Gouliyev, who had matchless service in the development of Azerbaijan’s culture and art, and views and memories of eminent personalities of the composer. Saying “We have been preparing for the celebration of Tofig Guliyev’s 100^th anniversary for almost two years, and, as a result, a very nice project has been accomplished following the initiative of Azerbaijan’s First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva”, Anar Alakbarov brought to attention that a big taskforce was established to implement the project.

Anar Alakbarov thanked First Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva for her support to the project.

It was informed, at the presentation ceremony, that the collection, compiled on the basis of private and archive materials, consists of a book-album about Tofik Guliyev’s life and creativity, four-volume note books comprised of the composer’s songs written for feature films, works for piano-forte, works for symphonic orchestra, not performed so far, and a flash card containing 212 works.

It was underscored that a lot of works have been done by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the framework of the events dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of People’s Artist Tofik Gouliyev - a composer, the classic of the Azerbaijani variety and jazz, who has had his matchless service in the development of Azerbaijan’s culture and art, with his special place in our music history. First of all, all note manuscripts were collected from archives of Baku city and the composer’s private archive, electronic version of music recordings contained on old tapes were prepared and issued for the first time in the form of a collection. The multimedia collection contains songs composed by the composer at different periods on various themes, works for symphonic orchestra and a piano-forte, soundtracks to movies, including author works performed by the composer. Photos related to various stages of the composer’s life and creativity, opinions told by eminent personalities, well-known peoples about the composer, memories, as well as his works for symphonic orchestra and chamber-instrumental works that have never been performed so far, and audio-recordings of over 30 songs without notes have been included in the collection. The collection also includes notes of soundtracks to movies. Various works by Tofik Gouliyev have been grouped into electronic media under 10 themes, to include the songs about the Homeland, love, soundtracks to movies, instrumental works, jazz improvisations, the composer’s playing on a grand piano, as well as variety miniatures, dance rhythms etc.

This collection will be contribution to studying Tofig Guliyev’s rich legacy, preserving and disseminating our national cultural treasures, and conveying them to future generations.

Then, a solemn ceremony started in the auditorium of the Heydar Aliyev Center. First, People’s Artist Eldar Guliyev, the composer’s son, a movie director and script writer, and Lala Guliyeva, the composer’s daughter, the artistic director of the jubilee concert, spoke.

Eldar Guliyev expressed his gratitude to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for the organization of the event. He recalled national leader Heydar Aliyev’s words at Tofik Guliyev’s recital: “We will all be gone. Nobody will remain. However, years will pass, and Tofik Guliyev’s music will still be living”.

Lala Guliyeva, thanking First Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva for the support provided to the project, said: “The project has been accomplished perfectly thanks to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s accurate and skilled work”. She also thanked head of the project Anar Alakbarov for his careful attitude to all the works from the very moment of the idea’s emergence through to the final rehearsals.

After the speeches, a short documentary about Tofik Guliyev’s path of life and creativity was shown.

The film talks about Tofik Guliyev’s matchless role in the Azerbaijani music, his being the author of over 200 very beautiful and memorable songs, and composing soundtracks to over 40 movies. It is also mentioned in the film that his creativity did not confined to only the activities of a composer, he was, at the same time, a skilled pianist, conductor, pedagogue, and one of the founding fathers of the Azerbaijani variety and jazz music. The documentary contained opinions of national leader Heydar Aliyev, the composer’s friends and eminent musicians about Tofik Guliyev.

Songs of the composer, instrumental music pieces written by him to movies, jazz music pieces, and works for a symphonic orchestra were performed at the concert programme. Along with Tofik Guliyev’s very famous songs, his never-performed compositions were also presented at the jubilee evening.

People’s artists Fidan and Khuraman Gasymovas, Azer Zeynalov, Samir Jafarov, Farhad Badalbeyli, Murad Adigozalzadeh, Honoured artists Aygun Beylar, Azerin, Tunzala Aghayeva, Sarkhan Sarkhan, Ilgar Muradov, Emil Afrasiyab, Elchin Azizov, Isfar Sarabski, Russian vocalist Yana Melikayeva, tarzans – People’s artist Sahib Pashazadeh, Shahriyar Imanov, naghara player Emin Jabrailov, violinists Elvin Ganiyev, Jeyla Seyidova, as well as the Azerbaijan State Symphonic Orchestra and the Azerbaijan State Choir directed by People’s Artist Rauf Abdullayev, “Gaya” Group, “Natig” Rhythm Group and “Gaytaghy” Group performed at the evening.

Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva met the composer’s son, People’s Artist Eldar Guliyev and his daughter Lala Guliyeva. Leyla Aliyeva noted that the evening was organized at a high level, the music pieces performed at the evening were brilliant examples of Tofik Guliyev’s creativity, and that these works have been loved by all. She mentioned that both her grandfather, national leader Heydar Aliyev and the composer himself would have been satisfied with the environment dominating the jubilee evening. Tofik Guliyev’s children highly appreciated the support provided by President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva for the organization of the jubilee evening, expressing their gratitude.