Ashiq Nargile, Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik James Krikorian 2013
A new generation of ethnic Azeri Ashiqs is forming in Georgia, with Nargile Mehtiyeva at the forefront of the tradition. Regularly performing at festivals in Turkey, Mehtiyeva is also resurrecting the tradition of female Ashiqs among the younger generation.
According to a recent paper by Anna Oldfield Senarslan, female Ashiqs emerged in the 18th Century and have already become established in Azerbaijan, becoming the voice of “inspiration, hope, and the transformative power of their communities” while also “leading trends that use the dynamic tension between tradition and innovation to keep the art current and popular.”
In the mountainous western and northern regions, a tradition of tek saz (saz only) prevailed. Not hampered by an ensemble, the solo ashiq could improvise more both musically and vocally, and these regions are famous for producing Azerbaijan’s ashiq virtousos. These regions also saw the rise of women ashiqs, who merged into the art in the 18th and 19th centuries, proving themselves by competing in the verbal dueling contests, called deyishme, that prove an ashiq’s mastery. Today, in the Republic of Azerbaijan, many women are at the forefront of the art, often leading trends that use the dynamic tension between tradition and innovation to keep the art current and popular.
[…]
In contemporary Azerbaijan, a number of women have stepped into this position, being not only the voice of but the inspiration, hope, and the transformative power of their community. Breaking away from some aspects of the tradition yet holding tightly to what they consider essential, it has been through their ability to seize on the innovative nature of the genre that they have been able to pull it successfully from the Soviet to the contemporary era. Representing the voices of rural, refugee, the dispossessed communities, women in the role of ashiq gain a voice of authority and a public platform. They represent the power of the powerless, and their ability to reach a wider audience is essential for this voice to be heard. By bringing this voice to a wider audience of urban dwellers, and youth, they work as a bridge to a new Azerbaijan which can incorporate the confusion and tragedy of a difficult past into a more hopeful present.
Ashiq Nargile, Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik James Krikorian 2013
Ashiq Nargile’s daughter, Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik James Krikorian 2013
