On the occasion of the 122nd anniversary of the birth of the great master of Azerbaijani mugham and renowned khananda, People's Artist Khan Shushinsky (1901–1979), his resting place in the II Alley of Honor was visited on August 20. Representatives of the Ministry of Culture and artists came together to lay flowers and pay homage at the artist's grave.
Jahangir Salimkhanov, Adviser to the Minister of Culture, and Sahib Pashazadeh, Honored Artist and Director of the International Mugham Center, spoke about Khan Shushinsky's contributions to our musical culture and the advancement of mugham art. They highlighted that, apart from being an exceptional performer of our mughams, the master khananda also composed songs and tasnifs that have become well-known in various languages, such as "Shusha's Mountains," "O Beautiful," and "Don't Walk Away From Me”.
Isfandiyar Javanshirov, a disciple of the Mugham virtuoso Islam Abdullayev, didn't attain the title "Khan Shushinsky" coincidentally. Names are given at birth, but there are rare individuals who truly earn their name during their lifetime. Khan Shushinsky demonstrated his mastery of Mugham art from a young age with his exceptional voice and performances. Furthermore, he bore this name with pride as a descendant of Panahali Khan, the founder of Shusha. At the age of 16, his instructor named him "Khan Shushinski" for his incredible rendition of the "Kurd-Shahnaz" mugham during a concert where he performed alongside his master Islam Abdullayev.
On behalf of Khananda's family, his son Aslan Javanshirov and daughter Beimkhanim Verdiyeva extended their gratitude to all who was part of the memorial event. They thanked President and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev for the liberation of Shusha, Khan Shushinsky's hometown, and First Vice-President and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva for her support and dedication to the advancement of Mugham art in our country.
Khan Shushinsky achieved fame in his youth due to his exceptional talent, impressive vocal range, resonant and pleasing voice, high performance culture, and contributions to the art of Azerbaijani mugham performance. He also introduced new elements, sections, and subsections to several mughams. Starting from 1924, his successful performances across numerous cities within the former USSR popularized the art of Mugham among different nations and played a unique role in the promotion of our music. Khan Shushinsky's masterful renditions of mugams such as "Garabagh shikastesi," "Bayati-Shiraz," "Mahur," "Mirza Huseyn segah," "Shahnaz," "Shur," "Chahargah," and "Heyraty," along with various tasnifs and folk songs like "The dye of the black eyebrow," "Flood carried Sarah away," and "I entered my lover's garden," remain as beautiful examples of art that hold a distinct place in our national musical culture, eternally etched in the hearts of the listeners.
Khan Shushinsky's compositions, such as "Gamarim," "Shusha's Mountains," and "O Beautiful," have achieved worldwide recognition and are now fondly remembered in a multitude of languages. He also turned his attention to the songs of composers and was the first performer of the song "Black Eye" by Uzeyir Hajibeyli.
The master was also active in training young singers. The outstanding khananda, who laid the foundation of the school deeply rooted in the rich traditions of the national Mugham heritage, devoted all his efforts and skills to the development of a new generation of talented performers.
In 1943, he was awarded the honorary title of "People's Artist" in recognition of his accomplishments in the field of national music culture, and was presented with the Order of Honor and various medals.
Khan Shushinsky died on March 18, 1979, and was laid to rest in the Alley of Honor.
