Abdul Islam Abdullayev Azerbaijani khanende singer, mugham performer, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan. Country: Azerbaijan

Biography of Islam Abdullaev

Islam Abdullaev was an Azerbaijani singer, mugham performer, and Honored Artist of Azerbaijan. He was born in 1876 in the city of Shusha. Abdullaev studied mugham under the guidance of musicologist Mir Mohsun Navvab, khanende Gaji Gusi, and some other Karabakh performers of mugham. He began performing alongside tar player Mirza Sadiq Asad oglu, also known as Sadiqjan.

Islam Abdullaev also worked as the director of a music school in Shusha. He played a significant role in the education of khanendes such as Khan Shushinski, Yagub Mamedov, and Sahib Shyukyurov. In Ganja, the singer organized a folk instrument orchestra. In 1949, Islam Abdullaev was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Azerbaijan. Towards the end of his life, he moved to Agdam, where he taught the art of mugham.

The singer passed away in 1964 in Baku. Islam Abdullaev is known in the history of Azerbaijani music as an interpreter of Segyah mugham and its variations, such as "Zabul-Segyah," "Segyah of Mirza Hussein," "Orta Segyah," and "Kharidj Segyah." He earned the nickname "Segyah Islam" for his remarkable performances of these Segyahs.

Islam Abdullaev was also famous beyond Azerbaijan's borders. In 1910-1915, he recorded mughams such as "Segyah," "Bayati-Shiraz," "Shahnaz," "Shyushter," and several teshnifs for the recording companies "Sport-Record" and "Extrafon." These recordings were made onto gramophone records.