Kechachioglu Mahammad

Kechachioglu Mahammad (Mahshadi Xalil oglu’s stage name) was born in Shusha in 1864 and died in Guba in 1940. He played a great role in development of the Azerbaijan music art. Kechachioglu Mahammad learnt khanende (singer), singing art in Shusha in Kharrat Gulu’s school and from the well-known khanende (siger) Mashadi Isi.

Together with other famous representatives of Karabakh school of khanendes (singers) in his career improved mugam art, spreaded the fame of the Azerbaijan mugam. Classical mugams, tasnifs and folk songs took the main place in his repertoire. Khanende, having expanded diapason and high-pitched tone of voice was singing all mugam dastgahs and zarbi mugams skillfully.

Kechachioglu Mahmmad, worked in Baku in 1904, performed in wedding parties and in eastern concerts together with tarzens (tar players) Gurban Primov and Mashadi Zeynal. Several mugams, tasnifs and folk songs in his performance recorded in “Sport record” company in Warsaw in 1912 and in 1914 in “Ekstrafon” company in Kiev.

Here Kechachioglu Mahmmad recorded “Rahab”, “Shahnaz”, “Dashti”, “Choban bayaty” mugams, “Heyraty”, “Karabakh shikastasi” zarbi mugams, “Getdi gelmadi”, “Gule gule”, “Khuraman”, “Akhsham oldu” tasnifs on vinyl. Besides khanende activity, he also was busy with the pedagogical activity. In 1926 Kechachioglu Mahammad was invited to the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire by Uzeyir Hajibeyov’s initiative. Here he grew up a lot of well-known khanendes (singers).