Concert program dedicated to Azerbaijani jazz music held in Brussels
A concert program dedicated to Azerbaijani jazz music was organized at the "Flagey" art center, one of the historic and prestigious cultural venues with rich jazz traditions in Brussels.
Speaking at the official opening ceremony, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Mammad Zulfugarov emphasized that Azerbaijani jazz constitutes an integral and vibrant branch of the nation’s musical heritage. It was noted that such cultural initiatives play an important role in promoting Azerbaijan’s diverse musical traditions on the European stage, while also contributing to the strengthening of cultural ties between countries.
Addressing the audience as a special guest, distinguished Belgian musician, jazz performer and composer Quentin Dujardin highly appreciated the distinctive improvisational style and rich musical language of the Azerbaijani jazz school. Describing Azerbaijani jazz as a unique phenomenon born from the creative synthesis of Eastern melodies and Western jazz traditions, Mr. Dujardin shared his personal experience of participating in the Baku Jazz Festival and expressed his admiration for Azerbaijan’s professional jazz environment and the high level of organization of its festivals.
During the artistic part of the evening, the "Azerbaijan Quartet" (Shahin Novrasli, Nijat Pashazade, and Hasan Bilalov), led by the well-known jazz musician Rain Sultanov, took the stage. The musicians performed unique compositions merging national folklore and mugham motifs with modern jazz rhythms, as well as selected classical and contemporary masterpieces of Azerbaijani musical art. The high professionalism and unique performance of the artists were received with great interest and admiration by the audience.
Officials of the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, heads and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Brussels, local public figures, prominent representatives of art and culture, as well as members of the Azerbaijani community living in Belgium and Europe attended the cultural event, which marks another successful step towards promoting Azerbaijani musical heritage in Belgium and Europe at large.
The concert program was followed by a reception.
