LIFE WAY  | Life

Khan about himself | Chronology | Genealogy

 

 

Shushinski Khan (Isfandiyar Aslan oglu Javanshrov s stage name) was born on August 20 in 1901 in Shusha. His father Aslan bey grandchild of Mahammad Javanshir who is from generation Penaheli khan (was the founder and first ruler of Karabakh khanate). His mother Beyimkhanum is from generation of Behbud bey. Aslan aga was a rich man and he has interested in music. He has performed on tar.

Notable intellectuals of the Shusha would often gather in Aslan aga s home and build meetings of poetry and music. Isfendiyar had grown up in the environment of  music.  Aslan aga has 3 children. Isfendiyar ( Khan Shushinski), Allahyar and Rukhsare khanum.  Aslan aga s son has died.  Isfendiyar and his brother Allahyar has interested in music.  Aslan aga bought to his children tar, Isfenfiyar (Khan Shushinski) learns playing the tar from childhood. But his charming voice involves for him to the profession of khanende  and Allahyar  owns to tar mastery.  Isfendiyar (Khan Shushinski) got first education in Shusha Real school, has learnt Persian and Russian languages.

He  has showed big  interest to  literature especially to  poetry. He read Fuzuli ghazals (is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter.  A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain.), he was analyzing ghazals and try  deeply to understand meaning. Upbringing of Isfendiyar was great labor of Bakhish aga, Azad aga, Mehdi aga, uncles Ebulhesen bey and Yusif Bey. He meets face to face with difficulties of the life from that early years. 

During 1905, 1907 and 1918s Armenians create events in Karabakh. These events strikes a great blow to Javanshir generation, his all riches are robbed by Armenians. They moved to Aghdam.  His mother does not withstand to these pressures and dies. Children grown up under the guidance of their aunt Zumrud khanum and Seadet beyim.Manner of this hard life cannot prevent his love to music. His aunt bought him gramophone , he listen to Jabbar Garyagdi oglu, Kechechi oglu Mahammad, Seyid Shushinski, Islam Abdullayev.

Islam Abdullayev was his teacher.  In 1918, he and his mugham teacher Islam Abdullayev attended a wedding in the village of Novruzlu (presently in the Agdam Rayon of Azerbaijan), where guests were listened to a gramophone record of the Iranian singer Abul Hasan Khan performing the Kurd Shahnaz variety of mugham. After the song, young Isfandiyar was emphatically asked to resing that song live. Despite the complicated nature of Kurd Shahnaz, his performance impressed the guests to the point of them comparing Isfandiyar to Abul Hasan Khan and saying: "Now, here is the real Khan. Shushinski made his first appearance in Baku in 1923, at the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall. In 1934 he moved to Baku.

Khan Shushinski also highly represented Azerbaijan music abroad. In 1940 he was awarded with the title of people s artist and different honor awards. Khan Shushinski died on March 18 in 1979 in Baku. He was one of the well-known khanendes (singers) and Popular artist of the Azerbaijan.

 

     

 

 

 

 
® Xan Şuşinski Fondu; Musiqi Dünyası, 2013 Project participants