Music – Republic of Azerbaijan

Aziza Mustafazadeh is an internationally acclaimed Azerbaijani singer, pianist and composer. She is often hailed as the “Princess of Jazz”.

Aziza Mustafazadeh was born in Baku in 1969 to a family of musicians. Her father, Vagif Mustafazadeh, was a famous jazz pianist and composer who is renowned for being the first to fuse jazz with traditional improvised Azerbaijani folk music, known as mugham. Her mother, Eliza Mustafazadeh, is the first singer to perform vocal compositions in the Jazz-Mugham style.

In the footsteps of her family, Aziza’s work is a powerful testament to the fusion of Eastern tradition and Western innovation, creating a style that is uniquely Azerbaijani yet globally recognised.

She seamlessly integrates mugham with the freedom and virtuosity of jazz and elements of classical music, drawing inspiration from composers such as Bach and Chopin. This fusion is not only a combination of musical genres, but also acts as a culltural bridge between East and West.

Aziza Mustafazadeh performs across Europe and the Middle East, collaborating with world-class musicians and mesmerising audiences with her virtuoso piano technique and exceptional vocal range. She often incorporates “scat singing” that echoes Eastern vocal lines.

As a prominent female figure in a highly competitive, male-dominated field, Aziza Mustafazadeh is an example of the resilience and creative power of women in Azerbaijani art, using her heritage to create a modern, emotional, and transcendent musical language.

Find out more about the Azerbaijani musician and her jazz-mugham fusion by watching the following concert extracts.

https://youtu.be/aYJm2JOFR1o?si=IHtSSc31wbjukoZ7

https://youtu.be/-kZ-83uFW3M?si=hFHI68yL_ZNRv750

https://youtu.be/JA13_DAGA1g?si=Mb-b2doXf-0ERENy

Sources: https://www.azizamustafazadeh.de/

Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan

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