Aziza Mustafa Zadeh ( az, Əzizə Mustafazadə; born December 19, 1969) is an

Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...

singer, pianist, and composer who plays a fusion of jazz and mugham (a traditional improvisational style of Azerbaijan) with classical and avant-garde influences.

Biography

Aziza was born in

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...

to musical parents Vagif and Elza Mustafa Zadeh (née Bandzeladze). Aziza's parents first noticed their daughter's sensitivity to music when she was eight months old. Aziza recalls the story as her mother tells it: Aziza enjoyed all forms of art, especially dancing, painting and singing. At the age of three, she made her stage debut with her father, improvising vocals. She began studying classical piano at an early age, showing special interest in the works of famous composers Johann Sebastian Bach and

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

. Soon thereafter, she showed a growing talent for improvisation. On December 16, 1979, Aziza's father died of a severe heart attack in Tashkent at the age of 39. In order to help her daughter cope with this blow, Aziza's mother gave up her career as a singer to help nurture her daughter's own musical talents. In 1988, at the age of 18, Aziza's mugam-influenced style helped her win third place together with American Matt Cooper in the Thelonious Monk piano competition in Washington, D.C. It was around this time that she moved to Germany with her mother. Aziza released her debut album, '' Aziza Mustafa Zadeh'', in 1991. The album showed influence of

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

and

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a ...

, as well as Near Eastern music. Her second album, ''

Always Always may refer to: Film and television * ''Always'', a 1985 film directed by Henry Jaglom * ''Always'' (1989 film), a 1989 romantic comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg * ''Always'' (2011 film), a 2011 South Korean film, also known as '' ...

'', won her the Phono Academy Prize, a prestigious German music award, and the Echo Prize from Sony. She has since performed in many countries with many jazz and traditional luminaries and released several more albums, the most recent being ''Generations'', released in 2020. Aziza currently resides in Mainz, Germany, with her mother, Elza Mustafa Zadeh, who is also her manager. Her two favorite leisure activities, she says, are painting and sleeping. She is a vegetarian. She believes in God, though she does not consider herself as belonging to any religion.

Baku Jazz Festival 2007

Aziza visited Azerbaijan in June 2007 for the Baku Jazz Festival, starring in her own concert at the

Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater The Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (Azeri: ''Axundov adına Azərbaycan Dövlət Akademik Opera və Balet Teatrı''), formerly known as the Mailov Theatre

and headlining the end-of-festival concert at the open-air Green Theater.

Discography

* '' Aziza Mustafa Zadeh'' (1991) * ''

'' (1993) * '' Dance of Fire'' (1995) * '' Seventh Truth'' (1996) * ''Jazziza'' (1997) * ''Inspiration – Colors & Reflections'' (2000) * '' Shamans'' (2002) * ''Contrasts'' (2006) * ''Contrasts II'' (2007) * ''Generations'' (2020)

References

External links

*
Azerbaijan International article

AllAboutJazz.com: Aziza Mustafa Zadeh: Body and Soul and Mugam!

Music Section of Azerbaijan International {{DEFAULTSORT:Mustafa Zadeh, Aziza 1969 births Azerbaijani jazz singers Azerbaijani women pianists Azerbaijani jazz pianists 20th-century Azerbaijani women singers Musicians from Baku Azerbaijani deists Living people Scat singers Women jazz pianists Azerbaijani people of Georgian descent 21st-century pianists 21st-century Azerbaijani women singers 20th-century women pianists 21st-century women pianists