― 28 апреля 2019 г.

Colourful opening event for the Year of Aşık Veysel

A Commemorative concert was held in Ankara  on the occasion of the Year of Aşık Veysel 2019 declared by TURKSOY.

The concert organized in cooperation of TURKSOY with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey and the TRT Avaz channel was hosted by TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kasseinov and gathered representatives of diplomatic missions in Ankara along with guests from Turkic republics and senior amateurs of art in the concert hall of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Turkey.

In the speech he delivered at the event, TURKSOY Secretary General Kasseinov said that with its rich tradition in terms of music  and its many talented artists, the Turkic World has been and is strongly contributing to the enrichment of world music heritage.

Mr. Kasseinov who also said that TURKSOY declares commemorative years in order to pay tribute to the legacy of illustrious personalities of the Turkic World and their works and to introduce them to the public while transmitting their heritage to future generations, further added that the year 2019 has been dedicated to the commemoration of the great Azerbaijani  poet  Imadeddin Nesimi on the occasion of the 650th anniversary of his birthday and to the famous  minstrel Aşık Veysel on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of his birthday.

Mr. Kasseinov who added that TURKSOY has commemorated many illustrious personalities of the Turkic World  further said:  "Amon all these, Aşık Veysel is certainly one of the most unique personalities, as he was truly the incarnation of wisdom and told us what he saw with his heart despite the fact that he was blind. His verses give us an insight into his character and persoanlity. He was not only a minstrel but also a philosopher."

Mr. Kasseinov further stressed that with verses such as "Thy  beauty is worth nothing, if I did not love it ", Aşık Veysel depicts love at its purest as well as love of nature and that his verses   "On a thin long road, I am wandering day and night" are in fact a roadmap for young generations.

Mr. Kasseinov who also said that TURKSOY is always working to serve the Turkic World and its common culture concluded his speech extending his gratitude to institutions, organizations and personalities for their support and assuring that TURKSOY will further carry out its activities with the same commitment and motivation.

The opening speech was followed by a concert featuring wonderful performances of more than 80 artists from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Turkey who took the audience onto an unforgettable journey through melodies of the Turkic World.

The concert started with performances by three minstrels representing three generations, Ozan Haşimi Aslıhak, Mecnun Sayılır and Ilayda Özmen who performed famous songs by Aşık Veysel "Anlatamam Derdimi" (I can’t tell about my Sorrow), “Güzelliğin On Para Etmez" (Your Beauty is Worth Nothing) and "Kara Toprak" (Black Earth).

The Ankara Music Ensemble of the Turkic World who took the scene under its conductor Abdullah Kurbani following performances of minstrels performed  "Koylun Bağrida" (On the Outskirts of the Mountain), a song composed by the Kazak composer  Habibulla Setekov and dedicated to Aşık Veysel.

Soloists Bayarjargal Chimedtseren (Mongolia), Ayree (Kazakhstan)  and the kyl-kyiak player Zalina Kasymyva (Kyrgyzstan) performed the famous minstrel’s song, "On a thin long road” with their own interpretation.

In the concert where many songs were performed fort he first time ever, soloists Sakine Kurbani (Turkey), Ali Otojanov (Uzbekistan) and Çiğdem Gürdal (Turkey) and the quray and sybyzgy player Ayaulym Kunanbayeva performed the song "May Friends Remember Me”, while the ensemble from Kazakhstan "Vox Acapello", Vugar Ismaiylov, the Modern Music Ensemble (Azerbaijan) and Ziliya Bahtiyeva (Bashkortostan R.F.) performed the song "Black Earth", and  Zarina Hasanşina (Tatarstan R.F.) sang "You are There" with their own interpretation.

Other highlights of the concert were poems dedicated to Aşık Veysel by the poetess  Ilter Yeşilay who recited them in person and the performance of Aşık Veysel’s “Don’t Despise Me” by the lyrical artist  Ilham Nazarov (Azerbaijan) accompanied by the pianist Rüstem Rahmedov (Turkmenistan).

The concert ended with a performance of Turkish folk songs "Çiğdem Derki Ben Elayım", Selam Saygı Hepinize" and "Türküz Türkü Çağırırız" by the Polyphonic Choir of the TRT Ankara Radio under its conductor Maestra Elnara Kerimova from Azerbaijan.

Within the framework of the event, an exhibition featuring paintings by Funda Ince Temel inspired by Aşık Veysel’s works was also inuagurated in the foyer of the Concert Hall of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.