After Vagif
Music that outlived the musician
Death at 39 could have ended everything. But mugham-jazz proved too alive to vanish with its creator. His recordings are reissued, his pieces are played, and above all — he found those who would carry on.
Aziza Mustafa Zadeh
Vagif’s daughter, pianist and singer, the “princess of jazz”. She brought mugham-jazz onto the world’s stages and became a star of the first magnitude.
A school in his name
Baku has a school of arts named after Vagif Mustafazadeh, where new musicians are raised.
Memory and competitions
Streets and creative competitions bear his name; his anniversaries are marked with concerts in Azerbaijan and abroad.
Recordings
Vagif’s surviving recordings are reissued and remain a benchmark of mugham-jazz for musicians worldwide.
Students and followers
Shahin Novrasli, Isfar Sarabski and a whole generation of Azerbaijani jazz musicians followed the path Vagif laid.
Global influence
Today mugham-jazz is a recognisable contribution of Azerbaijan to world music — and at its root stands the name of Vagif.
ContinuationThe relay
A daughter who became her father’s voice
Vagif dedicated music to little Aziza during his lifetime. Grown up, she not only continued his work — she made mugham-jazz known worldwide, joining piano, voice and mugham.
In her concerts and recordings her father’s voice sounds too — proof that real music does not die.