Baku: In recent days, singer and composer Araz Torosyan, also known by his stage name Araz Dare, performed the Azerbaijani folk song 'Sari g?lin' in Armenian and Persian on a television channel in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as reported by the Intellectual Property Agency to APA.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, several Iranian websites have inaccurately presented the Azerbaijani folk song 'Sari g?lin' as an Armenian song. Araz Torosyan has also shared the song on his YouTube channel, labeling it as an Armenian folk song titled 'Sari Aghjik'. The Intellectual Property Agency has clarified that 'Sari g?lin' is a folk song originating from Azerbaijani Turks. Composer Javanshir Guliyev, an expert from the Agency, explained that the song is composed in the 'Shur' mode, which is a fundamental aspect of Azerbaijani mugham art and prevalent in national musical traditions. The song, by genre, is categorized as 'uzun hava' (long air), which is a key element in the folklore of Turkic-speaking communities. Its format is distinct, lacking a refrain, which is substituted by a modulation to the 'Shur-Shahnaz' section of the 'Shur' mugham, a section uniquely formed in Azerbaijan.
In the book 'Armenian Foreign Fairy Tales,' authored by Kamran Imanov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Intellectual Property Agency, there is extensive analysis on Armenian literary plagiarism, including the attempts to appropriate 'Sari g?lin'. The book documents that in 1925, a special department was established under the Institute of Science and Art in Yerevan to collect and study folk music, led by S. Melikyan, a student of S. Komitas. Komitas is credited with transcribing over 3,000 songs, including 'Sari g?lin,' which was presented as an Armenian song under the title 'Yes keza tesa'. This song was published with commentary in Komitas's 'Ethnographic Collection', arranged later by composer K. Zakharyan.
The misrepresentation persists, as showcased in various foreign media and compilations like the 'European Music Collection', where 'Sari g?lin' was included as an Armenian song. This collection retained the unique Azerbaijani refrain 'neylim-neylim' in Latin script, which remains a mystery to Armenian presenters. Despite attempts by Komitas to Armenize the song's title, it continues to be identified by its Azerbaijani name.
The Intellectual Property Agency remains vigilant in monitoring and investigating instances of cultural appropriation of Azerbaijani heritage by Armenians. The Agency is committed to restoring rightful ownership and disseminating findings that confirm the Azerbaijani origins of these works through historical evidence and media channels.