108 years have passed since the birth of the brilliant composer Tofik Guliyev

Tofik Guliyev - one of the creators of Azerbaijani pop music, a master who possessed a unique original style, who wrote new bright pages in the centuries-old chronicle of national culture. His works in various genres, which enriched the treasury of cultural values of our people and still occupy a wide place in the repertoire of performers belonging to different generations, instill in people a commitment to national and spiritual values and high artistic and aesthetic taste.

BAKU.WS reminds that today marks the 108th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding composer Tofik Guliyev.

He was born on November 7, 1917 in the city of Baku. In 1934, Tofik Guliyev entered the Baku Conservatory, where he studied at two faculties: piano - in the class of I.S. Aisberg and conducting - under S.G. Strasser. Here he studied polyphony, harmony, musical form in the class of R.M. Rudolf. In the class of the great Uzeyir Hajibeyli, he first learned the beauty and perfection of folk music and the art of mugham.

In 1936, the People's Commissariat of Education of Azerbaijan, at the suggestion of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, sent Tofik Guliyev with a group of several representatives of talented youth to the Moscow Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky, where he continued his education in conducting.

In 1939, returning to Baku, he created, together with Niyazi, the first pop orchestra.

Starting from 1939, Tofik Guliyev at different times wrote music for more than 30 dramatic performances at the Young Spectator's Theater, Azerbaijan Drama Theater, Russian Drama Theater named after S. Vurgun, Moscow Drama Theater named after M. Yermolova, Ganja Drama Theater, and A. Shaig Puppet Theater.

Since June 1941, Tofik Guliyev's orchestra, which became part of the 402nd Rifle Division, performed on the frontline in Rostov, Krasnodar, Mozdok. At these concerts, the composer's bright, melodic patriotic, heroic songs, his talented arrangements of folk songs, dances, and fantasies for orchestra were performed.

In 1941, his first experience in cinema "Sabuhi" turned out to be successful, and very soon film music entered Tofik Guliyev's life as one of the important areas of his work as a composer and conductor. In different years, he wrote music for more than 40 films.

The years 1946-1947 are memorable to all music lovers for the performance of Tofik Guliyev with Rashid Behbudov, who formed with the composer-pianist an ensemble rare in its consonance. Their triumphant tours of the cities of the former Soviet Union in those years were, in essence, the best propaganda of national culture, the triumph of its high spirituality.

For his creative achievements, in 1958 Tofik Guliyev was awarded the title of Honored Art Worker of the Republic, and in 1959 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, elected as a deputy of the sixth convocation of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan.

In 1966, Tofik Guliyev took part in a trip to Czechoslovakia to celebrate the Days of Azerbaijani Art. There, the composer created the "Song about Prague," "Song about Bratislava," which enjoyed great popularity in this country. Tofik Guliyev's trips at the invitation of creative organizations in Bulgaria, Poland, and Italy were interesting and fruitful.

In September 1976, he headed the delegation of Azerbaijani artists who represented the art of the republic in Brussels.

Tofik Guliyev's creativity was highly appreciated - he was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR, the title of laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize of the Azerbaijan SSR.

The composer died on October 5, 2000 at the age of 82 after a prolonged illness. He was buried at the Alley of Honor in the city of Baku.

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