The singer, performing under the stage name Azerin, is reputed to be almost the most serious and strict on the Azerbaijani stage. She is a popularizer and promoter of the modern musical culture of the Turkic peoples. Against the background of the ongoing processes of globalization and orientation towards the West, Azerin personifies an example of loyalty to the Turkic world.
Singer Azerin, People's Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is firmly convinced that having a voice and a desire to sing is not enough to become a good performer. You need to get a fundamental education, both general and special, and also read a lot. After all, if an artist travels outside the homeland, he ceases to be just a singer. Now he is also a diplomat. His work, like speech, and demeanor on stage must be at a high level. “We are the bearers of national culture, we represent our country, our flag,” says Azerin.
Singing is for life and serious
Azerin was born and raised in Baku. The family was musical, they knew, understood and appreciated good music. The debut of the artist took place at the age of 5 - her voice sounded in 1976 in one of the children's programs on the Azerbaijan State Radio. During her school years, she was a member of the popular Jujyalarim ensemble and the Byanovsha choir. At the age of 9, the girl successfully performed with the solo song of the composer Jahangirov "Karabakh". In 1990, after graduation, after a year of studies at the preparatory department, Azerin entered the Republican Academy of Music.
She studies vocals in the class of Professor Elmira Kuliyeva The studies are going well, but in the last year the unexpected happens. After taking the exam in the subject of "general piano", the girl is expelled from the university. The reason was not at all the lack of the student's abilities and hard work. By that time, Azerin was already a laureate of the "Baku Autumn" vocal competition. The teachers categorically did not welcome the aspiration of the beginning professional singer to engage not in purely academic singing, but to synthesize it with the stage, deviating from the classical canons.
Azerin decides to realize his creative ideas on his own and in 1994 left for Turkey. For 5 years he has been living in Antalya, teaching. Here she also arranges her personal life - she gets married. Performing at various concert venues, recording videos, working on television, the singer is gathering material for recording her first solo album. However, with all the prosperity, she is desperately drawn to her homeland.
Five years later, the already famous performer and popular TV presenter stops working in creative projects in Turkey. Upon returning to Baku, she first of all completes her incomplete higher education. The singer also closely monitors how her sister is studying vocal at the Academy of Music. Even in her school years, her parents and teachers instilled in her a respectful attitude to music. Mom did not recommend, for example, singing at weddings. “This is an earnings, but not an occupation for serious people,” she said. The lesson was learned. Today Azerin is recognized as the most strict and serious singer on the Azerbaijani stage.
Stage name
The full name of the People's Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan is Anakhanym Ekhtibar gizi Tagiyev. As a stage name, the singer, together with her producer Javid Abidov, without hesitation, took the beautiful and sonorous name of Azerin. In the words of Persian origin, the combination "Azer" means "fire". The same basis sounds in the name of the country, the true patriot of which is Azerin khanum.
Despite the fact that the artist spends a lot of time outside her homeland (touring performances, working on television in Turkey), she claims that under no circumstances will she agree to sign a contract that will force her to leave Azerbaijan. This is confirmed by the producer: "of all proposals, we accept only those that do not lead to the loss of Azerin's freedom and are not related to the move."
Career timeline
The creative path of Azerin cannot be called a road with sharp turns or steep climbs. Rather, it is a consistent and progressive movement forward towards the realization of your dreams:
1976 - soloist of the Azerbaijan State Television and Radio.
1985 - Laureate of the World Festival of Youth and Students.
1990 - Laureate of the "Baku Autumn-90" competition.
2001 - Prize in the "Voice of Asia" music competition.
2006 - the title of Honored Artist of Azerbaijan.
2009 - soloist of the Russian Exemplary Military Orchestra of the Internal Troops.
2011 - Winner of the title "Best Performer of the Turkic World", awarded on the initiative of the Aegean University.
2015 - Anakhanym Tagiyeva was awarded the title "People's Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan".
At the moment, the singer's discography includes four albums:
2001 - Azerin 1
2003 - "The Black Sea was raging"
2006 - Azerin 2
2015 - Hearts in Hearts
Characteristics of the repertoire
Possessing a strong chest voice, Azerin works in different vocal styles, choosing for himself the main genre of "synthetic singing", in which pop music is combined with classical vocals. When asked by journalists about what projects she prefers in what periods, Azerin replies: “my whole life is one big project”.
The singer performs:
- classical repertoire (works of famous foreign and domestic composers) and melodies in the neoclassical style, synthesized with pop music: "Vocalise" by Eldar Mansurov, the famous classic crossover by Emma Chapplin De Labime Au Rivage; the aria O Mio bambino caro, sung by Maria Callas;
- music containing elements of folklore (the traditional system of musical performance of mugam, the art of ashugs) - the song of the Azerbaijani ashug Sayat-Nova "Kamancha";
- works created by the founder of modern professional musical art of Azerbaijan, Uzeyir Hajibeyli;
- popular songs of famous composers - compatriots Tofig Guliyev, Alekper Tagiyev;
- compositions by contemporary oriental authors (Aygun Samedzade, V.
- pop numbers and songs to films that were included in the repertoire of famous singers of Soviet Azerbaijan Muslim Magomayev, Rashid Behbudov (song about Baku from the film "Bakhtiar");
- when creating "synthesized" compositions, Azerin strives to ensure that everything is harmonious - melody, voice, posture and movements. Confirmation of this - performances with Turkish singer in the style of "Arabesque" Ibrahim Tatlises; duet with jazzman Javan Zeynalli on the song “Taleimin gyaribya gismatii”; collaboration with Uran - rap performer, winner of the young talent competition.
Despite such a variety of genres in her work, the singer devotes the most significant place in her repertoire to songs of a civil and patriotic orientation.
- The idea of the Turkic world is reflected in the composition "Turkun bayragy" ("Flag of the Turks" - music by Samir, words by Ogtay Zangilanli), the premiere of which dates back to 2008. During this period, Azerin, with solo concerts, travels a lot to "hot" spots, performing in front of the military in Fizuli, Horadiz, Barda.
- In 2016, the performer presented a song written by a young Azerbaijani composer Zumrud Tagiyeva to the poem by Turkish poet Cengiz Numanoglu "Night of July 15". The composition and the clip shot on it gave the name to the singer's album of the same name. The song is dedicated to the victims of the military coup in Turkey, undertaken by the terrorist movement FETÖ.
- Throughout the musical world, Azerin's calling card, which remains an adherent of the patriotic repertoire, is the song "The Black Sea was raging." The work, created back in 1918 by the famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli to the words of Ahmed Javad (the author of the country's national anthem), has not been performed for many years. Today, the song "The Black Sea Was Raging" restored in 1994, which has firmly taken its place in the singer's repertoire, has several clips and seven arrangements. The popular composition performed by Azerin sounded in the 55th episode of the rating Turkish TV series "The Fighter", released on the FOX channel. In 2018, together with producer Kenan MM, who plays the role of an Azerbaijani officer, the singer took part in the filming as an actress.
For a number of years, Azerin has been the host of the television programs Avazdan esintiler and Azerinlə bir avaz, which are broadcast in various languages on the Turkish channels TRT avaz and TRT music to 27 countries and 13 autonomous regions of the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Her activities are dedicated to the common values of culture, music, history, folklore traditions of the Turkic states. Recently, Azerin has been frequently invited to participate in serious discussions, including on political topics. This means that listeners trust her and expect from the artist not only song messages.
