Perviz Mirzeyev, Gardabani, Georgia © Onnik James Krikorian 2023
Nestled within the lush green landscapes of Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli region, the municipality of Gardabani is home to many from the country’s largest ethnic minority: Azerbaijanis. Here, despite concerns of dwindling numbers, the age-old Turkic tradition of wandering minstrels has continued. Known as ashiqs, these troubadours are skilled in the art of performing poetry over music, usually performed on the saz, a stringed instrument resembling a long-necked lute.
Their art has been an integral part of Azerbaijani culture for centuries. Indeed, in 2009, it was inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. In Kvemo Kartli, where most of Georgia’s approximately 233,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis reside, the Ashiq tradition helps promote the community’s rich cultural heritage.
“I believe that it is through the saz and ashiqs that we have preserved our language, heritage, religion, and identity in this country,” said Georgian-Azerbaijani Ashiq Nargile, one of a few surviving practitioners of the art form in the country, in an interview. “Georgians can’t live without music: they are always singing and dancing. […] For Azeri-Turks in Georgia, our music is also very important to us. Especially the ashiq tradition.”
An ethnomusicologist once shared with me the insight that the minstrel or bard tradition, now closely associated with Azerbaijani music, was once a pan-Caucasian musical tradition. However, in Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli, the various schools of Ashiq music have their own unique style. For instance, Borchali Ashiq music is considered more melancholic than its more light-hearted and entertaining counterpart in Azerbaijan.
[…]
You can read the full article here. There’s also a video report for BBC Azeri here.
