APA, Azerbaijan
March 12 2012
Azerbaijani Copyright Agency Urges Turkish Singer `Not To Immolate
National Interests’
Monday, 12 March 2012 17:58 .
The Azerbaijan Copyright Agency voiced attitude towards the
performance of the Azerbaijani song `Sari Gelin’ by Turkish singer
Sezen Aksu in Armenian.
The agency reported that the singer informed the press about it.
`Sezen Aksu has right to perform Azerbaijani folk song in Armenian,
but the press reports that Sezen Aksu, who represent Turkish nation
and calls herself a Turkish woman, will present `Sari Gelin’ as an
Armenian folk song. It contradicts to the Turkish and Azerbaijani
legislations, as well as to the Berne Convention for the Protection of
Literary and Artistic Works.’
The World Intellectual Property Organization has not yet adopted an
international tool for the protection of folk pieces, but Azerbaijan
has its own legislation on it. According to this law, to use
Azerbaijani folklore, including the folk songs for commercial
purposes, foreigners must get permission of the Azerbaijan Copyright
Agency and make payment in accordance with the legislation.
The copyright agency stated that the folk song `Sari Gelin’ belongs to
Azeri Turks. `The expert opinion submitted to the agency by well-known
Azerbaijani composer Javanshir Guliyev said that `Sari Gelin’ was
composed on the basis of mugham `Shur’, which is one of the seven
major mughams of Azerbaijan and being used mostly in the national
music compositions. Thousands of Azerbaijani songs are based on this
mugham and performed during the national festivals. The genre of `Sari
Gelin’ is a long melody, which is the element of folk music of the
Turkic-speaking peoples. It differs from other folk songs because it
has no refrain. The refrain was replaced in `Sari Gelin’ by the
modulation of the part of `Shur’ mugham entitled `Shur-Shahnaz’.
`Shur-Shahnaz’ is one of the major parts of `Shur Desgah”.
The Azerbaijan Copyright Agency urges Sezen Aksu to read the notes
about `Sari Gelin’, to be attentive in this sensitive and delicate
issue, and not to immolate national interests for commercial one.