אַזערביידזשאַניש עטניק מוזיק בלענדיד מיט הייַנטצייַטיק דזשאַז וואַוז בריסל וילעם

Azerbaijan has a 100 year old jazz tradition, which was celebrated at the Wolubilis Cultural Centre in Brussels. Contemporary jazz was skilfully blended with traditional ethnic music be some of the country’s top musicians, at the concert organised by organised by Azerbaijan’s embassy to Belgium - writes Nick Powell

The award-winning Azeri pianist, composer and jazz improviser Emil Afrasiyab, who is now based in the United States, joined forces with the master of accordion Anvar Sadigov and his band Qaytagi with extraordinary results. Their vibrant 10 piece performance, entitled L’Impresssion, was a specially chosen programme for the discerning jazz audience of Brussels.

The amazing keyboard playing by Emil Afrasiyab was often very fast, switching mid-tune between electronic keyboard and piano. It was inspired by the music that accompanies extremely rapid dancing at wedding celebrations in Azerbaijan. Anvar Sadigov played the three octave accordion that he had created to improvise the use of traditional music in jazz.

UThe magic of Azerbaijani ethnic music was given an authentic jazz interpretation and the energy level never flagged in two hours of mostly upbeat music. There was also a slower, more evocative performance of Emil Afrasiyab’s own composition dedicated to the victims of war.

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