The singer – khanendeh Abulfat Asad oghlu Aliyev was born on December 30, 1926 in the city of Shusha.
[Encyclopedia of Azerbaijani mugham. 2012, p. 44]
Abulfat Aliyev recalled his childhood years spent in Shusha:
“I saw and listened to Uncle Khan (Khan Shushinskiy), Musa (Musa Shushinskiy) and Seyid (Seyid Shushinskiy) even in early childhood. Three of them were excellent khanendeh. Unlike each other and better than each other. After listening to them, I couldn’t sleep at night. I kept telling myself that I wanted to sing like them.” Later, relying on the traditions of these khanendeh, Abulfat Aliyev developed his own original style of performing mughams and tesnifs (a vocal-instrumental genre in Azerbaijani oral-traditional professional music).
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, p. 6]
[Encyclopedia of Azerbaijani mugham. 2012, p. 44]
In the 1930s, the Soviet authorities confiscated all the property of Abulfat’s father. Never recovered from that blow, his father, after some time, died. After the deterioration of the financial situation of the family, Abulfat, along with his mother, was forced to leave for Fuzuli, and then they moved to Aghdam.
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 5-8]
In his youthful years, Abulfat, having created an ensemble, successfully performed at the national celebrations of Karabakh.
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 13;19]
[“Bakinskiy Rabochiy” № 299 (22024) 29.12.1990., p. 3]
In March 1944, Abulfat Aliyev became the winner of the republican Olympiad held among art collectives. He was invited to Baku and worked for some time as a soloist in the Republican radio.
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 26-27;29]
In 1945-1978, Abulfat Aliyev was a soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic named after Muslim Magomayev in Baku. However, in the book of 2017 of Azerbaijani publicist Mustafa Chemenli “Abulfat Aliyev”, it is indicated that he was a soloist of the Philharmonic until his death (1990).
[Uzeyir Hajibeyov Encyclopedia. 2003, p. 32]
[“Bakinskiy Rabochiy” № 299 (22024) 29.12.1990., p. 3]
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 65;73]
In 1956-1962 (1963), Abulfat Aliyev performed on the stage of the Azerbaijan Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. He performed the roles of “Majnun” and “Kerem” in the operas “Leyli and Majnun”, “Asli and Kerem” by Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, and “Shah Ismail” in the opera of the same name by Azerbaijani composer Muslim Magomayev.
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 65]
Abulfat Aliyev was invited to the Opera House by its then director, Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov, who, in turn, appreciated his work in this way:
“I have seen several performers of the main roles of the opera “Leyli and Majnun. However, in essence, I could not get the pleasure that I got from the roles of Leyli and Majnun, played by Abulfat and Rubaba (Azerbaijani singer Rubaba Muradova). I am fascinated by the image of Majnun created by Abulfat. That’s because Abulfat himself is fascinated by Fuzuli, he is the Majnun of all Majnuns.”
M.Chemenli’s book “Abulfat Aliyev” indicates that Uzeyir Hajibeyov’s wife Maleyka khanum once watched “Leyli and Majnun” and during a break said to Abulfat: “I wish Uzeyir bey himself would saw your Majnun.”
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 65;73-77]
In 1958, Abulfat Aliyev was awarded the title of Honored Artist and in 1964 People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR.
[Uzeyir Hajibeyov Encyclopedia. 2003, p. 32]
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 81]
Abulfat Aliyev was a participant of many All-Union and Transcaucasian music festivals and the decades of Azerbaijani literature and art.
[“Bakinskiy Rabochiy” № 299 (22024) 29.12.1990., p. 3]
In 1971, Abulfat Aliyev, on the Azerbaijani composer Kara Karayev’s invitation, participated in the VII World Music Congress entitled “Musical Culture of Peoples: Traditions and Innovations” in Moscow. For his high performing skills at the congress, he was awarded a badge and a diploma of the international organization UNESCO. At the same time, his voice was broadcast on the All-Union Radio to the whole world.
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 87-88]
From 1978 until his death, Abulfat Aliyev was the soloist of the Azerbaijani Touring and Concert Association. Aliyev has given concerts in the GDR (now Germany), Canada, Belarus, Dagestan (now Russia), Egypt, India, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and other countries.
[Uzeyir Hajibeyov Encyclopedia. 2003, p. 32]
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 71;81-82]
[Encyclopedia of Azerbaijani mugham. 2012, p. 44]
Abulfat Aliyev died on December 27, 1990. He was buried in the Second Alley of Honorable Burial in Baku.
[Encyclopedia of Azerbaijani mugham. 2012, p. 44]
[M. Chemenli. Abulfat Aliyev. 2017, pp. 103;112]
