Azernews.Az

The Victory Day of our people was celebrated in Paris, organized by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in France.

Speaking about the significance of Victory Day, Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva emphasized that in November, our nation celebrated the liberation of Garabagh after 30 years of occupation, Azernews reports.

She pointed out that with the restoration of our country’s territorial integrity, all Azerbaijanis experience a sense of justice and pride.

"Azerbaijan is well aware of the price of peace, having endured military occupation by a neighboring country and experienced two bloody wars. Peace is an absolute necessity, not only for our region but for the whole world. The mission set by Azerbaijan is to achieve lasting and just peace. To accomplish this, the remaining obstacles, including territorial claims against Azerbaijan enshrined in the Armenian constitution, must be eliminated," L. Abdullayeva emphasized.

She noted that Azerbaijani jazz and mugham would be presented at the concert dedicated to Victory Day, allowing listeners to delve into the depths of Azerbaijani culture through this jazz-mugham synthesis.

The ambassador stated that Azerbaijan, as a multicultural country, is home to 50 different ethnic groups living together in peace and harmony. This diversity enriches and colors our cultural heritage, which is also reflected in our music.

L. Abdullayeva highlighted that at the beginning of the 20th century, Azerbaijan was the birthplace of the first opera in the Muslim world, and Baku is recognized as the capital of jazz in the former Soviet Union and today. Tonight, this concert—featuring the synthesis of traditional Azerbaijani mugham with classical American jazz music—serves as a call for peace. Azerbaijan only desires peace.

Young pianist Etibar Asadov and singer Ilkin Dovlatov, who represented Azerbaijan at the Eurovision-2024 song contest with his trio, were invited to the stage to present the magnificent music of the jazz-mugham synthesis.

The concert program included Azerbaijani folk songs such as "Sari Galin," "Getta-getta," and "Gara kashin vasmesi," along with pieces by our renowned composers, including Said Rustamov, Talat Ayyubov, and Uzeyir Hajibeyli.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in France, local politicians, cultural and artistic figures, members of the community, and journalists celebrated Azerbaijan's Victory Day with a joint ceremony.