The art of Azerbaijani ashugs is an important part of ashug work, which is
one of the ancient fields of the Azerbaijani music culture of oral tradition. Music,
poetry, narrative, dance, pantomime, and art of theatre are organically combined in
the art of ashugs. Goshma, gerayli, mukhammas, ustadname, gifilband, as well as
tajnis and jigalitajnis of goshma are genres of ashug poetry. The art of Azerbaijani
ashugs has very deep historical roots and is a logical product of development way of
hundreds of years. Bayati, gerayli, goshma, tajnis, and others of classical ashug songs
are based on poetic forms. There are different kinds of ashug songs such as
“Keremi”, “Efshari”, “Kurdu”, “Dilgemi”, “Yanig Keremi”.
Since ancient times, ashugs had been considered as the most respected
elderly, advisor, and friend of a nation. They had lived among the people and were
well-informed and enlightened persons and wise men of their times. Our nation’s
multi-centurial history, its fight against foreign enemies, state of labour, wedding and
ceremonies had been reflected with the colours of literature in the art of ashugs.
The art of ashugs was of syncretical in character. Music, poetry, narrative,
dance, pantomime, and art of theatre are organically combined here. That is the art of
ashug had combined the fundamentals of creativity, performance and pedagogy in
itself. People with these characteristics and bringing up pupils were called “ashug the
master”.
It should be noted that the art of ashug with national-ethnic and historicalcultural
roots going back to ancient times has passed a particular way of formation
and development. Ashug work, as a syncretic art, had continued development dialect,
in complex socio-political, public-cultural, literary-aesthetic conditions, during
various periods of history. In a true sense of the word, it became protector and carrier
of Turk’s genetic memory.
Its historical age and geographical coverage require a systematic study of this
art’s regional characteristics and particular features of the national-local atmosphere.
From this point of view, it is of utmost importance and necessity to study, in the
context of the art of ashug in Azerbaijan, the life and creative work of separate
ashugs, including Ashug Aghalar Mikayilov. Until the 20th century with certain
exceptions, Azerbaijani folk, as well as the art of ashug were rapidly studied mainly
during Soviet times. It should be taken into account that those studies had covered
general matters of ashug art, life and creative work of different ashugs.