János Sipos has been conducting expeditions to the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Anatolian and Thracian Turk and Karachay-Balkar people since 1987. The Azeri expedition and this volume is an important step of his research. The Azeri Folksongs - At the Fountain-Head of Music volume introduces those elementary styles of Azeri folk music, which bring us back to the old history of the music. The preface of the book is followed by a history of Azerbaijan, after which the collecting expeditions are described illustrated with maps and photos. The highlight of the book is the comparative presentation of Azeri musical styles. You find an ample anthology of music examples in the book. The song texts and their English and Hungarian translation may be useful for those interested in Azeri language and folk culture. In addition to becoming acquainted with Azeri folk music, we learn how these musical styles relate to the folk music of people living in this area and to the folk music of the Anatolian Turks and the Hungarians. The book ends with indices and notes, as well as an important supplement: a CD with the finest tunes of the collected stock.

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