Nemet Qasimli

Nemet Yusif oghlu Qasimov was born on July 27, 1972 in the village of Kichik-Garamurad in the Gadabay District of Azerbaijan.

He entered school in 1979 in the same village and completed his 10-year school education in 1989 with honors. He made his first performance on the saz in first grade at a school holiday assembly. He participated many times in spring holiday festivals called “Gadabay Spring, Ashik’s Saz” organized by Azerbaijan SSR Meritorious Artist Isfendiyar Rustamov. He was the winner of the “Stringed Saz” competition in the greater Ganja, Azerbaijan region. By fourth grade he was locally recognized as a master of the ashik art. He learned songs characteristic to many geographical ashik schools (Tabriz, Goyche, Borchali, and Shirvan).

In 1990, he entered Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts.

He also worked as an actor for the Azerbaijan State Theatre of Young Spectators in 1990. From 1992-1994, he worked as the director of music for the Theater Training Department at Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts. In September 1992, opened the first saz department at the Gara Garayev Music School number 8. Many of his students have taken first place in saz competitions. He has taught more than 600 students.

In 1995, he became a researcher for the Folklore Institute of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

He took first place in the nationwide “Increasing Talent” competition in 1996; in the International Silifke Culture Week ashik competition in Turkey on 20–26 May 2002; in the I Ashiks Competition held in honor of Republic Day on 28 May 2004; and in Shalala Poetry Evenings competition in Tarsus, Turkey on September 21, 2005.

He has represented the ashik profession repeatedly in UNESCO events since 2009. He had a major role in the production of the film describing the art that was submitted to UNESCO. In addition, UNESCO funded a 52-minute documentary film about the activities of Nemet Qasimli.

In 2010, he won “The World Needs Peace” international competition in Yeosu, South Korea. He was awarded a World Arts and Music Mastery Certificate and trophy.

Nemet Yusif oghlu Qasimov (Azerbaijani: Nemət Yusif oğlu Qasımov), Ashik, Doctor of Philosophy in Philology, is a modern Azerbaijani ashik and Meritorious Cultural Worker of Azerbaijan. He is featured in the UNESCO video on “The Art of Azerbaijani Ashik” documenting the inclusion of the ashik profession into UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage of Humanity Registry in 2009.