14.2 - Contributors

Summer 2006 (14.2)

Contributors

anna tatti "To thrust your hands in a basket brimful with saffron blossoms that have just been picked is an unforgettable sensation, says photographer Anna Tatti from Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy. During the harvest on her cousin's farm she took along her camera to capture the beauty which is so vibrant we almost can catch a whiff of the fragrance, too. The reddish-orange stamens priced higher than their weight in gold and traditionally used for coloring and flavoring cuisine, also have anti-cancer medicinal properties according to some scientists. Contact Anna at: a.tatti@rfi.it. Page 30.

aida huseinova Stalin's Era (1920s to 1950s) was particularly harsh on intellectuals. Musicians and composers were not exempt from arrest, imprisonment and execution. This is the first time such research related to Azerbaijan's music world is being made available in English. Aida Huseinova, Ph.D. Musicology, is Associate Professor at Baku Music Academy. As well, currently, she is Secretary General of the National Music Committee of Azerbaijan, which is part of the European Music Council (EMC), a regional group of the International Music Council (IMC). Contact Aida at: anhuseynova@yahoo.com. Page 56.

anne visser When Mr. Anne Visser of Holland first laid eyes on paintings by Soviet artists, he didn't like them at all, especially the works which were painted in the style of Socialist Realism-stripped of any of the hardships of life. Now Anne understands these works as documents of the "illusion of history" of the communist period. For the past year, Anne has begun collecting these art works, via contacts on the Internet. In a world riveted by uncertainty and violence, he finds comfort surrounding himself with such idealistic images of tranquility. He shares his collection and thoughts with us here. Contact Anne at: ann.visser@planet.nl. Page 38.

gulnar aydamirova Tomoko Imura, from Tokyo, came to Azerbaijan nine years ago as a student, determined to become an expert on Caucasian art. Within three years, she had distinguished herself by earning a Masters' Degree in Art History from Baku State University (in Azeri, no less, though she only knew Russian when she arrived!). She became fascinated with Ashug Saz music and now performs herself. To help fellow Japanese understand Azerbaijani culture, she has created a Web site with translations of nearly a dozen articles about Azerbaijani artists published in Azerbaijan International. Check out the Japanese at: http://cosmos2.ed.shikoku-u.ac.jp/~azart-imura/. Page 68.

matt o'brien When we thought of publishing a photo essay depicting Baku at Night as a souvenir for the international guests would be attending the 2006 Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition, we called on Alakbar Aghasiyev, one of Baku's distinguished photographers, knowing he could capture the drama of the city and its distinctive architectural monuments-many of which were built during the Oil Baron period of last century-awash in floodlight. Thanks to Alakbar for the front cover with its distinctive lenses of blue, red and green (the colors of Azerbaijan's flag) and for the photo essay on page 18.