The music from Azerbaijan is of Persian origin, with important influences from the surrounding Middle East and Central Asia. As most music of Central Asia, Azerbaijan music is monodic, i.e. sung by a single singer. The term "muqam" refers to the modes used in their music as well as the compositions performed by the musicians. Each muqam, the composition, comprises a series of pieces which alternates between sung ones and instrumental ones. The main songs are partly improvised, alternating with other songs or instrumental pieces which are fixed melodically and rhythmically. These pieces alternate between different modes, rhythmic character (binary and ternary), happy and sad modes, etc. the variety of which determines the expressive and musical mood of the whole muqam. The singer plays a frame drum, the daf, and is accompanied by two other musicians who play the târ, a drum, and the kemânche, a fiddle. Hâji Bâbâ Huneynov is the last representative of the old generation of muqam performers from Azerbaijan. He is a good teacher and composer, helping maintaining this great tradition. ~ Bruno Deschênes