Today marks the 129th anniversary of the birth of Bülbül, the founder of the Azerbaijani vocal school.

Today marks the 129th anniversary of the birth of Bülbül - the founder of the Azerbaijani vocal school, an outstanding opera singer (lyric-dramatic tenor), musicologist-folklorist, pedagogue, one of the founders of the Azerbaijani national musical theater, People's Artist of Azerbaijan and the USSR.

As BAKU.WS reminds, Bülbül (Murtuz Meshadi Rza oglu Mammadov) was born on June 22, 1897, in the village of Khanbaghy in the Elizavetpol Governorate, which was part of the Russian Empire.

For his rare musical gift, Murtuz was nicknamed "Bülbül" (meaning nightingale in Azerbaijani) as a child. This nickname later became his stage name.

Bülbül's childhood and youth were spent in Shusha, and the atmosphere of this city, permeated with poetry and mugham, served as a fertile foundation for his work. He received his first education at the local madrasa, and learned the intricacies of mugham art at the school of Molla Ibrahim, where many renowned masters acquired their first musical knowledge. He mastered the secrets of the art under the famous singer Jabbar Garyaghdyoglu. Bülbül's stage career began in 1916 in Ganja, where he performed in the opera "Seyfalmulk" staged by Meshadi Jamil Amirov.

From 1920, Bülbül was a soloist of the Azerbaijan State Theater (now the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater). In the early years of his career, the singer created the roles of Ibn Salam, Kerem, and Garib in Uzeyir Hajibeyli's operas "Leyli and Majnun" and "Asli and Kerem," and Zulfugar Hajibeyli's "Ashig Garib." He also performed as a concert singer.

In 1921, Bülbül enrolled in the Baku Conservatory (class of N.I. Speransky), from which he graduated in 1927, and until 1931 he trained at Milan's La Scala theater under G. Anselmi and R. Grani. After completing his studies at the Milan Conservatory, he returned to his homeland and began teaching at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory.

Having masterfully mastered the art of classical vocals, Bülbül strived to create a new style without abandoning his national roots or violating the characteristics and traditions of folk music. He