BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 21. The newest installment of the analytical video series "Dialogue with Tofig Abbasov" hit the airwaves on the expert platform Baku Network, showcasing the outstanding jazzman, People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Salman Gambarov, as the featured guest, Trend reports.
According to him, at the edge of sounds and words, where languages can fall short, the magic of music takes flight.
"It is an invisible thread that connects peoples, cultures, and souls," he said.
Gambarov is more than a musician; he embodies the spirit of a generation, blending the lessons of yesteryear with a quest for future harmony. His words carry deeper meanings beyond mere musings on music. They serve as a declaration aimed at the peoples of the South Caucasus: music has the potential to span the divide created by political, historical, and national disputes.
"Music unites people by breaking down the walls of misunderstanding. It robs prejudices of their power, making people listen and feel, without translators or intermediaries," he mentioned.
This concept is not merely a philosophical concept for him; it is a lived actuality. Gambarov was a member of an international ensemble that performed at the "Caucasus Jazz" festival in Tbilisi in 2010. The ensemble consisted of musicians from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and Turkey, and their collaboration resulted in a dialogue that transcended music.
"We were one team: an Armenian saxophonist, a Georgian drummer, a Turkish bassist, and I, an Azerbaijani pianist. We performed in Tbilisi, Vilnius, and then this project ended because we regained our lands, and suddenly it turned out that friendship is possible only under certain conditions. It's painful and wrong," he explained.
However, this pain, according to Gambarov, is not a reason for despair but a call to action.
For him, music is a tool to fight against lies. He sharply criticizes attempts to attribute an Armenian composition to Fikrat Amirov, calling it "absolute vulgarity".
"Amirov was a genius, and his son Jamil continues his work. Culture is our identity, and if we allow lies and mediocrity to fill it, we will lose ourselves," Gambarov said.
Remembering the past, Gambarov reflects on the events of 1987 when he participated in a music festival in Dilijan. He remembers the use of music as a tool for nationalist propaganda.
Gambarov believes that the creative elite can become the engine of change, but for this, they must free themselves from the fear of public opinion and take steps toward one another.
Music, as Gambarov asserts, has the power to restore the lost trust in the South Caucasus. This is not just nostalgia for the past; it is a striving for a future where generations will live in peace, creating a new culture.
"We must look forward, not backward. Young generations are waiting for an example from us, and our task is to give them a peace built on dialogue and mutual understanding. Music can save us, but only if we want it," he concluded.
