The monitoring center under the State Language Commission of Azerbaijan presented a list of about a hundred songs promoting bad habits, immoral lifestyle, encouraging aggressive actions and suicide. The authors of the songs on the list and the singers themselves have appealed to the country’s constitution, which ensures freedom of creativity.
The State Language Commission in Azerbaijan is a formally existing structure, the activities of which the majority of the country’s population knows nothing about. The new commission was approved in 2017 by a decree of President Ilham Aliyev. The president of the country directs the commission. Among his deputies in this commission are Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva and Chairman of the Union of Writers Anar. The Monitoring Center under the Commission was established in 2019. The tasks of the center include monitoring television and radio broadcasts, print and online publications for compliance of the language used with literary Azerbaijani.
A singer appeals to the constitution
Singer Gunay Ibrahimli, one of whose songs was included in the “undesirable” list, expressed her disagreement with her song being included on the list.
“Today, in the media, I saw the name of my song in the list prepared by the monitoring center under the State Language Commission.
The inclusion of my song in the list by unprofessional and frivolous employees of such an authoritative structure without any explanation probably comes from bias. I think that listing my song along with those who promote drugs, inadequate things, crime, suicide, a disorderly life is part of a dirty PR against me and my work.
Can anyone tell me how many people became drug addicts after listening to my song called “O kimdi ki?” (“Who is he?”). How many people have since committed suicide? Where to find such statistics and these figures?
I urge these people to familiarize themselves with the constitution of Azerbaijan, where Article 51 of the country’s basic law guarantees freedom of creativity.”
Expert comment
Azerbaijani composer Javanshir Guliyev commented on the publication of the list:
“When we talked about it a few years ago, they said we were jealous of their popularity. For years we have been writing, asking not to spoil the taste of the people. They advised not to let such singers on television. There was no internet back then. On the contrary, they began to propagate.
How then to instill in people a love for quality music? They said that all this would end badly, and so it ended badly.
Now they can no longer be forced out by prohibitions. Now no one really watches TV or listens to the radio. Everyone has smartphones, everyone listens to songs on the internet. And to ban the internet is a political act.
We have raised a generation with a disturbed, mutilated taste. They can no longer instill a love for good music. We have to wait a few decades for a healthy generation to grow up. Unless, of course, we start working in this direction now.”
Social media comments
The publication of a list of songs “promoting drugs and suicide” aroused great interest among social media users.
Some representative comments:
“Suddenly the singers remembered the articles of the constitution, that some freedoms are provided there. When for decades the opposition and the independent press spoke about violations of their constitutional rights, these same “artists” did not support them. Like, this does not concern us, we will do our job.
But now it has affected them too. This means that if the rights of some group of people are violated in the country, then the day is not far off when the rights of other groups will also be violated. It’s unavoidable”.
“I wanted to write that shame and disgrace to the one who lets such singers, such songs on the air, but suddenly remembered the high-profile appointment of the last days. After all, it is our minister of agriculture who was appointed chairman of the Supreme Court. In other words, a highly specialized lawyer was sent to “practice” in the agricultural sector. It turns out that these singers are also sent on the air for “practice”, and what if something comes out of them.”
