Rauf Yusuf oghlu Babayev (, December 30, 1937 – March 27, 2020) was an Azerbaijani singer (

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

People's Artiste of Azerbaijan People’s Artiste of Azerbaijan () is the honorary title granted for contribution to the development of Azerbaijani culture. The term artiste refers to a professional entertainer, and awards creative success in the theater, cinema and music fie ...

(2006).

Biography

Rauf Babayev was born on December 30, 1937, in

Leninakan Gyumri (, ) is an urban municipal community and the List of cities and towns in Armenia, second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th centur ...

. After graduating from high school in Baku, he studied at the Asaf Zeynalli Music School in 1953–1957, and in 1957–1962 he received higher music education in the percussion class of the Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. Rauf Babayev, who started his career as a musician in the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre in 1957, was a soloist-vocalist in the Azerbaijan State Variety-Symphonic Orchestra in 1960–1962, worked as a soloist in the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic in 1962–1964, and in the Dagestani Philharmonic Orchestra in 1965. From 1965, he sealed his creative destiny with the pop ensemble "Gaya", until 1968 he was the vocalist of the pop ensemble "Gaya" of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic. In 1987–2001 he was the soloist-vocalist of the state ensemble "Gaya", and in 1987–2001 he was the soloist-vocalist of the state pop-symphonic orchestra "Gaya" under the Baku City Culture Department. Since 2001, he has worked as the director and artistic director of the "Gaya" state orchestra, since 2003 of the "Bəri bax" vocal group of the "Gaya" state ensemble, and since 2007 as the artistic director of the State "Gaya" Ensemble of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan. Rauf Babayev is one of the founders of the vocal-instrumental ensemble " Gaya", which was considered one of the most famous bands of the Azerbaijani pop scene in the 60s and 80s of the last century. The artist has successfully performed at a number of jazz festivals, won the title of laureate of international pop and jazz music competitions. Rauf Babayev died on March 27, 2020, in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

. He was buried in

II Alley of Honor II Alley of Honor ( Azerbaijani: ''II Fəxri Xiyaban'') is a cemetery located in Yasamal district of Baku, Azerbaijan. Background The cemetery was created in the late 1960s. Like the First Alley of Honor, prominent scientists, artists, politi ...

Awards

Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (; ) was an honorary title awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR) and was one of the forms of recognition by the state and society of the meri ...

— January 11, 1978 *

— September 16, 2006 *

Shohrat Order Shohrat Order (), translated as ''Order of Glory'', is an award presented by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. History and status The order was created by the Decree No. 757 of the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev and ratified ...

— December 28, 2017

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Babayev, Rauf 1937 births 2020 deaths Baku Academy of Music alumni Honored Artists of the Azerbaijan SSR Recipients of the Shohrat Order Burials at II Alley of Honor People from Gyumri People's Artiste of Azerbaijan