Rəhman Məmmədli - Azerbaijani Gitara, Vol. 2

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 199, July 2024.

Rəhman Məmmədli
Azerbaijani Gitara, Vol. 2
Bongo Joe Records (39 mins)

Bongo Joe Records’ first foray into gitara music from Azerbaijan (the aptly-titled Azerbaijani Gitara by Rüstəm Quliyev, released in 2020) was a revelation. Now we get Vol. 2, this time a compilation of the work of Rəhman Məmmədli… and cor, it’s just as good.

The key ingredient in gitara is the electric guitar – specifically Jolana guitars from Czechoslovakia, which Azeri musicians realised was a perfect fit for creating an exciting modern blend of folk and classical styles, as well as influences from East and West. Məmmədli’s speciality is in pointing gitara towards classical mugham, transforming emotional, solemn art music into a wild rollercoaster of guitar wizardry accompanied by synths, programmed drums and the occasional accordion.

This album’s opener, ‘Qoçəlı̇’, is the perfect example. You get about one second of synth drone to tune in and prepare for what’s coming before Məmmədli comes roaring in, guitar already on full-distortion, creating a beautiful, unmetred improvisation; later, Casio beats and frame drum come in, and it just turns up to the next notch again. Like Quliyev, Məmmədli’s style shows clear influence from the iconic tar in the way he picks the strings and crafts his runs, and in the minute adjustments he makes within each note, bending the strings freely and subtly, gaining access to the most ecstatic of microtones. But what is most astonishing is the sheer vocality that he gets out of his guitar. At times there is an uncanny sense that the sounds he makes are literally that of a master singer, even affecting techniques such as zəngulə, a sort of chromatic yodelling so distinctive of mugham.

The programmed backing tracks and beats sometimes get a bit wearing, but they're never allowed to linger on their own for long before they are inevitably and completely overshadowed by guitar. It’s that good. Two volumes into the Azerbaijani Gitara series, and it’s all gold. I wonder how many more master musicians, how many treasure troves of gitara are still waiting to grace our ears? I can’t wait to hear more.

Rüstəm Quliyev - Azerbaijani Gitara

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 164, January/February 2021.

Rüstəm Quliyev
Azerbaijani Gitara
Bongo Joe (44 mins)

As well as a hot contender for this year’s Most Charmingly Naff Cover Photo award, the inside of this album is just as fun and fascinating as what’s on the outside.

This career retrospective introduces the world to the late Rüstəm Quliyev, the electric guitarist who set the standard for open-eared instrumental pop in Azerbaijan. He developed his own sound from his first instrument, the tar (hourglass-shaped long-necked lute): with fast tremolo picking and melodies played up and down a single string, Quliyev gives the electric guitar a distinctive Azeri flair. Only ever backed by a keyboard and a drum machine, the retro timbres accompany Quliyev through the music of Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan and India, and provide a neat disco shimmy while they’re at it.

It’s all good stuff here, but the highlights come when Quliyev points his plectrum towards traditional repertoire: ‘Əfqan Musiqisi’ is a particular treat based on Afghan folk melodies, and ‘Yanıq Kərəmi’ has a compelling two-and-a-half minute introduction before he kicks it up a notch for some fully-distorted twang, all derived from the music of Azerbaijan’s aşıq bards.

If you’ve been looking for the centre of that Venn diagram between Bahram Mansurov, Dick Dale and Omar Souleyman, you’ve found the perfect album.