AMusical genreIndependent states
Jazz mugham
A genre fusing mugham with jazz, created in the 1960s by the pianist Vagif Mustafazade.
Jazz mugham combines the modes and melodies of Azerbaijani mugham with the improvisation and harmony of jazz. Its creator was the Baku pianist Vagif Mustafazade (1940–1979).
Mustafazade found ways to make the piano sound like the tar and kamancha. In 1978 he won first prize at an international competition of jazz composers in Monaco with his piece Waiting for Aziza.
His path has been continued by his daughter Aziza Mustafazade, Rafig Babayev, Shahin Novrasli and others. Baku has hosted an international jazz festival since 2005.
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Updated: October 1, 2026