Rəhman Məmmədli

We are excited about the unique opportunity to present this sharp-dressing, mild-mannered guitar god of the Caucasus at a last-minute "secret" show in the intimate setting of Morphine Raum - do you not miss this concert! Rəhman Məmmədli's blazing, psychedelic guitar music sprang from one of the most tumultuous and transformative periods in Azerbaijan’s history, capturing both the spirit and the contradictions of its time. In the years since, he has become the emblem of Azerbaijan’s gitara music - a unique subculture that developed around the electric guitar. Rəhman is the absolute don of this style - often going live on social media for hours on end, shredding. Rəhman was born in 1961 in the Fuzuli district of Karabakh and grew up surrounded by and immersed in the music of that region. In his childhood, he had already mastered the garmon-accordion before coming across the guitar. After only a few days with a guitar in his hands he was able to play a whole range of melodies and was soon invited to join the Karabakh Ensemble as their guitarist. Following a short break from music, he began to release his own albums in the 1990s as a solo artist. Being deeply connected to traditional music, both the mugham and ashiq traditions, he has managed to transpose these genres onto the electric guitar through his creation of new and distinct playing techniques. His ability to emulate the voice of classic mugham singers led to him being given the nickname "the man with singing fingers". Geneva's mighty Bongo Joe records released Rəhman's first vinyl album in spring 2024, a wild ride of a compilation, introducing the world to this fantastic artist.