BAKU JAZZ

Last year I was invited to a concert of Shahin Novraslı - a 32, jazz pianist from Azerbaijan.
I didn't hear about him before and expected nothing but just a nice musical evening. But then came a suprpise! I was so much astonished with his mastery, and listening to him play even led me up into another level of perception of the music itself.

The video below probably doesn't show all his virtuosity at its maximum as I had a pleasure to witness, anyway that is quite a great number from him - it starts rather moderately and gradually comes like a mountain river rolling down...

The winner of the 43rd Montreux International Jazz Festival 2009 was again from Azerbaijan - a 20 years of age, Isfar Sarabski, which performance impressed me much too. The video on You Tube showing his winning number is not embeddable so I can't post it here in its full format, but you may enjoy it clicking this link Novruz /Spring, a composition of his own - it's really worth watching!

And talking about Azerbaycani Jazz is impossible without paying a tribute to VAGIF MUSTAFA-ZADE (1940-1979) - a Legendary Genious Jazz-Man, incredibly talented pianist, versatile musician and the inventor of a special Azerbaycani style of Jazz called Jazz-Mugham - a fusion of classical Jazz and traditional Azerbaycani music.

Following the link you can enjoy a great composition Fantaziya performed by Vagif Mustafa-zade.
And below are 2 of my most favorite numbers (though really everything by him is my favorite) - the first one is called Baku Geceleri/Nights in Baku.

And here's a mind-blowing and very deep composition "Samarkand Ornamentation" - a co-work of Vagif Mustafa-zade and Hajibaba Huseinov (vocal). I love how the music varies here guiding you into another world...

TRIBUTE TO THE SUN

I've made these images in Photoshop as a tribute to my favorite perfume SUN by Jil Sander!Though I always use oil based perfumes that are pure natural and characterized by mild enveloping aromas in comparison with "hard" alcohol perfumes, but SUN is the only exclusion out of the rule!Here I tried to convey what this perfume symbolizes for me.

And what if Heat, Burning-hot Sands, Shining Sunflowers and of course the Sun itself were having their own aroma?? Jil Sander perfectly managed to put ALL this in a small bottle!

Amazing Scenery by Ali Shamsiyev

These beautiful paintings created by an Azerbaijani painter Ali Shamsiyev! Just have no words to describe what kind of uplifting feelings they evoke in me...enchanting light and so soothing ambient of a sweet melancholy! It seems as if you are about to step inside to recreating harmony in such a peaceful scenery...

I was also inspiried with this lovely poetry that seems to be a nice variant to accompany these incredible creations.

Autumn

The past will always inspire melancholy

The trail of a falling star

That never arrives

The trace that remains on a stone when touched

Scents of times past

O, winds

Autumn

There it remains, the past

As if reflected on water

Like a stone, impossible toStore time in your palm

Melancholy is good

Whenever my absent-minded eyes drift into a dream

Melancholy is good

Author: Mustafa Atapay
Translated by: Tozan Alkan

TURKISH GARLIC PASTE

I've been making this paste for about 3 years already and it perfectly goes to every maccaroni/pasta dishes or we also put it on small pieces of bread with a slice of butter. Garlic is a must to maintain a healthy immunity!

Ingredients:

50 g garlic
150 g walnuts
150 g wheat bread (only crumb)
50 g vegetable oil
salt to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Mash garlic with salt and crushed walnuts.2. Soak the bread in water for some seconds, squash and mix with garlic and walnuts.3. Beat up the mass with spoon, gradually adding oil.

DESERT LAKE IN THE MORNING LIGHT

...exactly these thoughts come to my mind when I look at this picture. At first glance this work is simple but makes my fantasy go much more beyond the picturised here! First of all I love the Light as if coming and descending from nowhere, the soft pastel colors and sunny reflection on the water, the silhouettes of awakening mountains, the sandy coast with thin trees stretching their palms to the rising sun!!

I am surprised of how much can be shown just with a few touches of pencil or brush. This place is evoking in my mind an image of a desert and I don't know why but also...cotton fields. I think they must be somewhere there, behind the mountains...:)