Along with the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Pakistani Qawwali master singer, Alim Qasimov, who hails from Shamakha in the Central Asian republic of Azerbaïdjan (often rendered as Azerbaijan), is an amazing vocalist.
Qasimov did not come from a family of musicians, but his performances in the mugham tradition led him to the heights of recognition in his country while he was in his mid-twenties, including several genres as well as in playing the framed drum, or daf. He has toured much of the world, including in Iran, where the mugham form began.
On this 1992 album from the remarkable Radio France label, Ocora, Qasimov is accompanied by the Mansurov brothers, Eisah on the kamancha, a bowed string instrument, and Malik on the tar, a plucked lute. The trio, honing their skills in a partnership developed over years, perform seamlessly and telepathically, conveying the beauty and complexity of Azerbaijani mugham.
Qasimov is obviously the central figure and his technique is stunning, projecting great clarity, enunciation, tone and emotion, as well as his remarkable improvised vocal effects. It is said in the very informative liner notes by Jean During (who discusses Azerbaijani music, the instruments and the pieces) that, as is often true of master musicians, Qaismov and the Mansurovs were best appreciated in a large-scale live setting became of the impact they had on audiences.
