Culture

The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences, including its Turkic, Persian, Islamic, and Central Asian heritage, in addition to Russian influences due to its former status as a Soviet republic. Today, Western influences, including globalised consumer culture, are strong.

Music

The music of Azerbaijan includes various arrays of styles that reflects influences from the music of the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Iran. Azerbaijan also has much in common with Armenian and Persian music.

The classical music of Azerbaijan is called mugam, and is usually a suite with poetry and instrumental interludes. The sung poetry sometimes includes tahrir segments, which use a form of throat singing similar to yodelling. The poetry is typically about divine love and is most often linked to Sufi Islam.

In contrast to the Central Asian mugam traditions of countries, Azeri mugam is more free-form and less rigid; it is often compared to the improvised field of jazz.

Instruments used in traditional Azeri music include:

• the oud (a pear-shaped, stringed instrument similar to a lute)
• the saz (long necked lute)
• the tar (skin faced lute)
• the kamancha (skin faced spike fiddle)
• the balaban (reeded wind instrument)
• the ghaval (frame drum )
• the naghara or davul (cylindrical double faced drum)
• the goshe nagara or naqareh (pair of small kettle drums)
• the garmon (small accordion)
• the tutek (whistle flute)