Talish people are not happy with the substitution of folklore

Baku/20.05.21/Turan: The Talysh Public Council of Azerbaijan (TPCA)  issued a  statement expressing its comments on the distorted presentation of Talysh folklore at the Xarıbülbül Music Festival, held on May 12-13, 2021 in the city of Shusha.

The statement begins with support for the state's efforts to restore territorial integrity. “As a result of the glorious victory won by the brave Azerbaijani army over the Armenian invaders, in the 44-day Patriotic War, with the participation of the sons of the Talysh people ... the territorial integrity of our country was ensured. Our territories which have been under occuptation for almost 30  years were liberated, including the city of Shusha, which is considered the “musical conservatory of Azerbaijan”. We know that even in Soviet times, the Xarıbülbül Music Festival was held annually in the city of Shusha. After the liberation of the city of Shusha, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, continuing this glorious tradition, held the 15th Bulbul music festival in this ancient Azerbaijani city on May 12-13, 2021.

It is gratifying that along with the folk groups of individual ethnic groups of our Motherland, folk groups of the Talysh people (the village of Mahmudavar of the Masalli region "Halai" and the village of Separadi of the Lankaran region "grandmothers") took part in the work of the festival. The prestige of the festival was also the fact that President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and 1st Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva personally took part in its holding.

PCTA, in turn, closely watched the work of the “Xarıbülbül” Music Festival. With great warmth, welcomes the holding of the “Xarıbülbül” music festival in the city of Shusha and regards it as an expression of the care and attention of the Azerbaijani state to talented art workers and folk creative groups of our country. PCTA supports the idea of ​​holding in Shusha in May every year, along with people of art, performances of song, music and folklore groups of other fraternal peoples of our country, as well as the “Xarıbülbül” music festival, which can ensure the harmony of an equal civil society in our homeland, regardless of language and religion. However, along with all the above successes, Atish considers it appropriate to bring to the attention of the participants and performers some of the shortcomings and remarks made at the “Xarıbülbül” Music Festival.

PCTA believes that the performance of the song together with the Talysh folklore groups “Babayalar” of the Separadi village of the Lankaran region and “Halai” of the Mahmudavar village of the Masalli region, by the unknown folklore group “Veterans” in the Azerbaijani language is a kind of assimilation step.

The Talysh people, as an aboriginal inhabitant of the region, have historically developed not only their folklore samples, but also folk music for many centuries. Today, several Talysh singers performing folk songs in their native language are known, listened to and welcomed not only in Azerbaijan, but also far beyond the borders of our country. The most surprising thing is that samples of Talysh folk music are not promoted and are not presented at any state events.

PCTA considers the above negative actions to be an integral part of various insidious plans aimed at assimilation, discrimination of the Talysh people, and requires the authorities to stop such machinations. –0—