To People`s Artist Tofig Guliyev – Baku, November 7, 1997


Distinguished Tofig Guliyev!

I congratulate you, the prominent composer and public figure, who has made great contributions to the development of our national culture, on your 80th anniversary.

Your works besides being valuable pieces of art, have contributed to the development and consolidation of the national consciousness among the people. You have been included into the history of music as one of the founders of the Azerbaijani pop music. You have brought completely new genres to the Azerbaijani music by using music forms of the 10th century skillfully. Your broad creative work has won the inexhaustible sympathy of the people. Your songs, operettas, pop and cinema music have been included to the treasury of the Azerbaijani music and glorified our culture. Your meaningful life and rich creative work have become an example of loyalty to the people for the young generations. The union of the Azerbaijani Composers, which you have headed for a long time, because of your organizational skills and humane qualities, has become one of the prominent cultural centers of our country. Your activity as professor of Baku Music Academy in the education of new musicians is also estimable. As a result of your rare innate talent, great diligence, and diverse creative work, characterized with inexhaustible loyalty to the rich music traditions of our people, you have become one of the live coryphaeus of the Azerbaijani music art. To be your follower makes every Azerbaijani proud.

Dear Tofig!

On this day of your anniversary I hug you, express my deep esteem, and wish you good health and happiness.

Heydar Aliyev,

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Historical backgrounds

CULTURE