Azerbaijani Embassy concert at Bobino in Paris, Digi Mart USA News (Paris, France): Choosing Bobino, the legendary Parisian venue that hosted major French artists from Barbara and Piaf to Brassens, Devos and Le Luron, for a commemorative concert was a bold decision. According to the publisher, the gamble paid off.
Before a packed house, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris presented a dazzling concert celebrating the 2020 victory and the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity. The event was logistically organized by Aytan Muradova under the patronage of Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva, who delivered an opening speech that was emotional but gave the spotlight to the music.
The program, titled “Echoes of Honor,” alternated melancholy, joy and solemnity. The chamber orchestra was conducted by Azerbaijani conductor Ayyub Guliyev, who handed the baton to Savitri de Rochefort for a lively “Caspian Waltz” by Gara Garayev.
Many works by Azerbaijani composers were performed, including pieces by Uzeir Hajibeyli, Niyazi, Arif Malikov, Musa Mirzoyev, Elsa Ibrahimova, Fikret Amirov, Muslim Magomayev and Shahin Mustafayev, who attended the concert. Saint-Saëns was also featured, sung by mezzo-soprano Fidan Hajiyeva.
The audience also discovered or rediscovered two standout performers: flutist Agharahim Guliyev, whose brilliant Fantasy on Bizet’s “Carmen” and a piece by François Borne drew a long ovation, and tenor Ramil Gasimov, whose power, purity and precision place him alongside lyric stars such as Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras. The publisher expressed hope that these artists would appear more often on French stages.
