CLS Student Learns about Azerbaijani Music

On the CLS Program, Jeiran Hasan (Azerbaijan ’10 and ’11) not only improved her Azerbaijani skills, but also learned more about Azerbaijani music.

Jeiran studies classical music and flute performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and she has been interested in the music of Azerbaijan since childhood.  Her father was a musician trained in Azerbaijan and Russia, so she grew up with a heavy influence of ethnic and classical music in her home.

Jeiran Hasan

When Jeiran went to Azerbaijan on the CLS Program, she knew that she not only wanted to improve her Azerbaijani skills, but she also wanted to learn more about Azerbaijani music.  At first, she focused on classical Azerbaijani music and studied a set of pieces called “Six Folk Songs for Flute and Piano” by Azerbaijani composer Fikrat Amirov.  Later, she fell in love with the folk music of Azerbaijan, called Mugham.  Mugham is based on songs and poems and utilizes a set of certain rules, combined with improvisation and ornamentation.  In this way, it has been likened to American jazz.

In Azerbaijan, Jeiran learned to play the balaban, a traditional Azerbaijani instrument.  As a flute player, she was drawn to the balaban because it is similar to a flute but is played downwards, like a clarinet.  The fingerings are similar to the flute, which made learning easier for her, but unlike the flute, the balaban uses a reed.  Learning to play the balaban was a challenge and a great reward to Jeiran during her time in Azerbaijan.

Now that she has returned to the U.S., her interest in Azerbaijani music continues, and she has tried to incorporate classical Azerbaijani music into her flute performance.

Join the discussion about international music on ExchangesConnect.  CLS Alumni Ambassador Leanna Pohevitz (Egypt ’09, Tunisia ’10 and ’11) recently started a discussion about the music of the CLS countries: http://connect.state.gov/group/cls/forum/topics/music-share-cls-style