Folk group “Nənənlər” (“The Grannies”) started out as an ordinary musical ensemble. Four sisters from the village of Separadi in Lenkoranskiy region (South-East of Azerbaijan) used to sing national songs at wedding parties and other local events, before gaining fame first in their own village and later on – nationwide. Azerbaijan’s famous grannies
When it was first formed in 1970, the group was named “Sisters”. Later, after the death of two of its members, Agabaji and Gyulbaji, the group’s name had to be changed. Reportedly, the then president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, suggested the name ‘The Grannies’ during his visit to Lenkoran. This happened in 1997 and the Grannies became very popular at that time.
The members of the group used to change, but they happened to be relatives or neighbors. The group’s signature song is a national song “Ay Lolo”. This song originates from the South of Azerbaijan and has a mysterious story. Musical experts are puzzled what is behind the song’s musical motif, which is not typical to Azerbaijan.
Apart from “Ay Lolo”, the group’s repertoire features about one hundred songs in the Azeri and Talish languages. The group was regularly invited to various festivals and concerts. They went on tours and, of course, performed at weddings and engagement parties. At the moment, the Grannies are concerned that the group no longer gets invitations to concerts in Baku. They have no idea what the reason might be.
The Talish are an ethnic minority living in the south-east of Azerbaijan.
At traditional Azerbaijani weddings, men and women are seated in different facilities, which requires a separate entertainment program for female guests.
