The distinguished tar player Ahmad Bakikhanov

Ahmad Bakikhanov, an outstanding tar player and educator, was born on September 5, 1892 in Baku. The Bakikhanov family used to live in the Iranian city of Rasht for some time. At the age of sixteen, Ahmad Bakikhanov began his primary education there under the famous khanende Abdulhasan khan. In a short period of time, he delved deeply into the intricacies and depths of musical art. Under the guidance of tar masters, he learned the secrets of playing the tar and mugham. Upon the family’s return to Baku, Ahmad Bakikhanov continued his education in his hometown.

Introduction to Uzeyir Hajibeyli marked the beginning of an important stage in the creative and pedagogical activities of Ahmad Bakikhanov. At the initiative of the great composer in 1929, Bakikhanov was invited to the Azerbaijan State Conservatory, and since 1933, to the Baku Music School named after Asaf Zeynalli, where he began his teaching career. He was involved in systematizing the teaching of mugham and performance traditions on a scientific basis. During this period, the close creative collaboration with Uzeyir Hajibeyli had a significant influence on the formation and development of Ahmad Bakikhanov as a tar player. At the request of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Ahmad Bakikhanov performed on the tar such mugham pieces as “Bayati-Shiraz”, “Humayun”, “Nava”, as well as “Dashti”, mughams “Nava-Nishapur”, and “Abu-Ata”, which are rarely heard on the tar. In particular, these live performances were of great importance to Uzeyir Hajibeyli as tangible material for his work “Fundamentals of Azerbaijani Folk Music”.

In 1931, Ahmad Bakikhanov established the Ensemble of Folk Musical Instruments at the Azerbaijan State Radio Committee and led it until the end of his life. This group played an important role in presenting Azerbaijani folk music in orchestral form, preserving national musical traditions, and nurturing young performers. The ensemble used instruments such as tar, kamancha, saz, balaban, zurna, and even piano; performing both examples of folk music and classical mugham. The ensemble included performers like Aliagha Guliyev, Habib Bayramov, Adil Geray, as well as famous khananda singers – Seyid Shushinski, Khan Shushinski, and Zeynab Khanlarova.

For many years, Ahmad Bakikhanov’s pedagogical activities were carried out at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory and the Baku Music School named after Asaf Zeynalli. Upon the proposal of U. Hajibeyli, he developed a new program for teaching mugham.   Previously, students were taught only five mughams – “Rast”, “Chahargah”, “Shur”, “Bayati-Shiraz”, “Segah”. But in Bakikhanov’s new program, mughams such as “Mahur-Hindi”, “Bayati-Kajar”, “Dugah”, “Humayun”, “Nava”, “Rahab”, “Shahnaz”, “Bayati-Kyurd”, “Dashti”, “Segah Mirza Huseyn” and “Zabul-Segah” were added. In addition to developing a program for the conservatory, he also compiled programs for classes of tar, kamancha, and khanandeh in music schools, actively participating in the improvement of national musical instruments.

Ahmad Bakikhanov played a valuable role in studying and recording musical folklore. He transcribed the notes of 71 mughams, which he researched and collected for a long time, and in 1964 included them in the collection “Azerbaijani Folk Mughams”. This book features rengs and daramads of most mughams – “Rast”, “Shur”, “Segah”, “Chahargah”, “Bayati-Shiraz”, Shushtar”, “Humayun”, among others. In addition to this collection, the work “Rhythmic Mughams” was published in 1968, and in 1975 the collection “Mugham, Song, Reng”.

Ahmad Bakikhanov passed away on March 26, 1973, and was buried in the II Alley of Honor. The ensemble of folk musical instruments, bearing his name, continues its activities to this day. His former residence is now the Museum of Music Culture, Department of Folk Instruments. Ahmad Bakikhanov, honored with the titles of “Honored Teacher of Azerbaijan”, “Honored Artist”, and “People’s Artist”, as well as the “Sharaf” order. He is one of the outstanding masters who have made an invaluable contribution to the preservation and development of Azerbaijani mugham art.

Recommended literature:

1. Məmmədbəyov, David İsa oğlu. Muğam ustası Əhməd Bakıxanov /D. İ. Məmmədbəyov ; red. M. Müştaq. - Bakı: Azərnəşr, 1966. - 40 s.
2. Rəhmətov, Əvəz Məmmədəli oğlu. Əhməd Bakıxanov /Ə. Rəhmətov ; xüsusi red. Ə. İsazadə, V. Məmmədov. - Bakı: İşıq, 1977. - 140 s.
3. Əhməd Bakıxanov xatirələrdə /tərt. ed. İ. Mirzəbəyli; elmi red. Hacı F. Mirzə ; red. H. Əliyeva ; məsləhətçi T. Bakıxanov. - Bakı: Mütərcim, 2012. - 177 s.
4. Ustad ömründən anlar: Əhməd Bakıxanov haqqında xatirələr /tərt. ed. İ. Mirzəbəyli ; məsləhətçi T. Bakıxanov ; elmi red. Haci Fərhad Mirzə ; red. H. Əliyeva ; Azərb. Resp. Mədəniyyət və Turizm Nazirliyi. - Bakı: Aspoliqraf, 2013. - 190 s.