Editing Azerbaijan (section)

===Music and dance===
[[File:Uzeyir Hajibeyov.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Uzeyir Hajibeyov]] merged traditional [[Azerbaijani music]] with Western styles in the early 20th century.]]
[[Music of Azerbaijan]] builds on [[Folk music|folk traditions]] that reach back nearly a thousand years,<ref>David C. King. ''Azerbaijan'', Marshall Cavendish, 2006, p. 94</ref> evolving around the badge of [[monody]], producing rhythmically diverse melodies.<ref name="EMD">Энциклопедический музыкальный словарь, 2-е изд., Москва, 1966 (''Encyclopedical Music Dictionary'' (1966), 2nd ed., Moscow)</ref> The music has a branchy [[Musical mode|mode]] system, where [[Chromaticism|chromatization]] of [[major and minor]] [[Musical scale|scales]] is of great importance.<ref name="EMD"/> Among national musical instruments there are 14 [[string instrument]]s, eight percussion instruments and six wind instruments.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Azerbaijan musical instruments |website=Atlas.musigi-dunya.az |url=http://atlas.musigi-dunya.az/atlas/en/instruments.html |access-date=27 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826153640/http://atlas.musigi-dunya.az/atlas/en/instruments.html |archive-date=26 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to ''[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians|The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'', "in terms of ethnicity, culture and religion the Azerbaijani are musically much closer to Iran than Turkey."<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=During|first=Jean|title=Azerbaijan|encyclopedia=The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians|year=2001|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-0-333-23111-1}}</ref>
[[File:Pht-Vugar_Ibadov_eurovision_(2).jpg|thumb|[[Alim Qasimov]] performs [[mugham]] at [[Eurovision Song Contest 2012]]. The Azerbaijani Mugham was inscribed in 2008 as a [[UNESCO]] [[Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity|Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage of Humanity]].]]
[[Mugham]] is usually a suite with poetry and instrumental interludes. When performing mugham, the singers have to transform their emotions into singing and music. In contrast to the mugham traditions of Central Asian countries, Azerbaijani mugham is more free-form and less rigid; it is often compared to the improvised field of [[jazz]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Duncan |first=Ishhad |title=The Baku Jazz Festival: Reviving a Tradition in Azerbaijan |publisher=EurasiaNet |url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav042805.shtml |access-date=2005-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050508164545/http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav042805.shtml |archive-date=2005-05-08|url-status=live|date=2005-04-27}}</ref> [[UNESCO]] proclaimed the Azerbaijani mugham tradition a [[Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity|Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]]. [[Meykhana]] is a kind of traditional Azerbaijani distinctive folk unaccompanied song, usually performed by several people improvising on a particular subject.<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopaedia of the Muslim World |last1=Bahl |first1=Taru |last2=Syed |first2= M. H. |publisher=Anmol Publications PVT |isbn= 978-81-261-1419-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJTdr3JI46wC&pg=PA25 |page=25 |year=2003 }}</ref>

[[Ashik|Ashiq]] combines poetry, storytelling, dance, and vocal and instrumental music into a traditional performance art that stands as a symbol of Azerbaijani culture. It is a mystic [[troubadour]] or traveling bard who sings and plays the [[baglama|saz]]. This tradition has its origin in the [[Shamanism|shamanistic]] beliefs of ancient [[Turkic peoples]].<ref name="European University Institute, Florence, Italy">[http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/paksoy-6/cae05.html "ashik, shaman"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170526122055/http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/paksoy-6/cae05.html |date=26 May 2017 }} – ''European University Institute, Florence, Italy'' (retrieved 10 August 2006).</ref> Ashiqs' songs are semi-improvised around common bases. Azerbaijan's ashiq art was included in the list of [[Intangible Cultural Heritage]] by UNESCO in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=Azerbaijan's ashug art included into UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage |publisher=Today.Az |url=http://www.today.az/news/politics/56083.html |access-date=2009-10-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002213552/http://www.today.az/news/politics/56083.html |archive-date=2009-10-02 |url-status=live|date=2009-10-01}}</ref>

Since the mid-1960s, Western-influenced [[Azerbaijani pop music]], in its various forms, that has been growing in popularity in Azerbaijan, while genres such as [[Azerbaijani rock|rock]] and [[Azerbaijani hip hop|hip hop]] are widely produced and enjoyed. Azerbaijani pop and [[Azerbaijani folk music]] arose with the international popularity of performers like [[Alim Qasimov]], [[Rashid Behbudov]], [[Vagif Mustafazadeh]], [[Muslim Magomayev (musician)|Muslim Magomayev]], [[Shovkat Alakbarova]] and [[Rubaba Muradova]].<ref>{{cite news| last =Hutcheon | first =David | title =Alim Qasimov: the living legend you've never heard of |work=The Times | date = 19 September 2008| url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article4781720.ece| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110616061349/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article4781720.ece| url-status = dead| archive-date = 16 June 2011| access-date = 19 September 2008 | location=London}}</ref> Azerbaijan is an enthusiastic participant in the Eurovision Song Contest. Azerbaijan made its debut appearance at the 2008 [[Eurovision Song Contest 2008|Eurovision Song Contest]]. The [[Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009|country's entry]] gained third place in 2009 and fifth the following year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Washington Post: Azerbaijan duo upset favorites Ireland for first-time win at 2011 Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://president.az/az/articles/view/2160 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=president.az |date=2011-05-14|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004014317/https://president.az/az/articles/view/2160|archivedate=2023-10-04}}</ref> [[Eldar & Nigar|Ell and Nikki]] won the first place at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2011]] with the song "[[Running Scared (Ell & Nikki song)|Running Scared]]", entitling Azerbaijan to host the contest in [[Eurovision Song Contest 2012|2012]], in Baku.<ref>{{cite news|title=Azerbaijan wins the Eurovision Song Contest |work=BBC News |date=14 May 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13387886 |access-date=14 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514035914/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13387886 |archive-date=14 May 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Lusher|first=Adam|title=Azerbaijan wins Eurovision Song Contest|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/eurovision/8514539/Azerbaijan-wins-Eurovision-Song-Contest.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/eurovision/8514539/Azerbaijan-wins-Eurovision-Song-Contest.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The Telegraph|access-date=15 May 2011|location=London|date=15 May 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> They have qualified for every Grand Final up until the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2018|2018 edition of the contest]], entering with [[X My Heart (song)|X My Heart]] by singer [[Aisel (singer)|Aisel]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2018 First Semi-final Scoreboard|url=https://eurovision.tv/event/lisbon-2018/first-semi-final/scoreboard|publisher=Eurovision Song Contest|access-date=13 May 2018|archive-date=12 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512234516/https://eurovision.tv/event/lisbon-2018/first-semi-final/scoreboard|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are dozens of [[Azerbaijani dances|Azerbaijani folk dances]]. They are performed at formal celebrations and the dancers wear national clothes like the chokha, which is well-preserved within the national dances. Most dances have a very fast rhythm.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Азербайджанская Советская Социалистическая Республика |encyclopedia=[[Great Soviet Encyclopedia]] }}</ref>