Sevda Chingiz Alekperzade Azerbaijani pop and jazz singer Date of Birth: 04.07.1977 Country: Azerbaijan

Biography of Sevda Chingiz Alekperzadeh

Sevda Chingiz Alekperzadeh is an Azerbaijani pop and jazz singer, and a Honored Artist of Azerbaijan. Born and raised in Baku, she comes from a family of prominent figures in Azerbaijani literature and journalism. Her grandfather, Abulgasan Alekperzadeh, was a renowned writer and the author of the first Azerbaijani novel written during the Soviet period. Her father, Chingiz Alekperzadeh, was a well-known journalist and writer.

Sevda Alekperzadeh graduated from the A. Huseynzadeh University of Arts in 1998, specializing in musical comedy acting. She started singing at the age of 14, when she auditioned for composer Vagif Gerayzadeh, who was leading the popular group "Aypara" at the time. Sevda was accepted into the group and became part of its second lineup. However, disagreements led her to leave the group after a year and pursue a solo career.

She participated in children's music competitions and showed a inclination towards jazz, while also taking lessons in Azerbaijani traditional music (mugham) from renowned performer Alim Gasimov. Around the same time, several other members of the "Aypara" group, including Rashad Gashimov and Ilgar Kuliev, left and formed the group "Rast". Rashad invited Sevda to join the group in the summer of 1993.

The original lineup of "Rast" included Rashad Gashimov (artistic director, keyboards), Asif Kerimov (kamancheh, violin), Vilayat Gahramanzadeh (rhythm guitar), Ilham Aleskerov (lead guitar), Ruslan Guseynov (bass guitar), Iskender Aleskerov (drums), Rustam Rzaev (keyboards), and two vocalists - Sevda Alekperzadeh and Ilgar Guliev. Their first album, also titled "Rast", was released in November 1996. In the same year, they became finalists in the International Radio France Internationale contest, out of 365 competing groups. In 1997, "Rast" received the Humay Prize, and they were awarded the Grand Prize for Best Group of the Year in 1998, 1999, and 2000. They performed solo concerts in Azerbaijan and internationally, including in Turkey, Germany, Austria, England, and the United States.

However, in 2001, Sevda Alekperzadeh left the group and embarked on her solo career. Her collaboration with composer Jamily Amirov on the song "Demya ki seviryam" in 2002 marked the start of her solo career. She released several more songs, including "Proschay" by renowned Azerbaijani musician Rafiq Babayev. In 2003, she released her first solo album, "Mehebbet ki deb deyil", which sold over 20,000 copies and received success in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Germany, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Iran.

Sevda Alekperzadeh gave her first solo concert on June 1, 2004, at the Azerbaijani State Philharmonic named after Muslim Magomayev. She performed her own songs, as well as folk and retro songs. In the same year, she released her second solo album. In 2006, her international album "??bi Hicran" was released, featuring famous Azerbaijani compositions and folk songs. The album sold over 150,000 copies in Europe within the first six months. She launched her official website, www.sevda.info, in the same year.

In 2007, Sevda Alekperzadeh released two solo albums. "Men seni gozledim" was released for sale in Azerbaijan, while "Gul Achdi - A flower in Bloom" was recorded for the European audience and sold over 200,000 copies. She performed solo concerts in Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, and Turkey in 2008. She also represented Azerbaijan during the advertising campaign for Azerbaijani athletes at the Beijing Olympics.

Sevda Alekperzadeh was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Azerbaijan in 2007. She gave solo performances in Baku, Ganja, Sheki, and Nakhchivan. Her international album "Sevdali Dunyam" (World of Love) was released in European countries in May 2009, selling 300,000 copies, with an additional 50,000 copies sold in Turkey.

In January 2010, she held solo concerts at the Baku Jazz Center. Sevda Alekperzadeh is unmarried and has an older sister named Elmira.