‘Shirvanshah’s Palace’, a instrumental work from Sami Yusuf, features a 57-member orchestra and dazzling solos on oud, kamanche, tar and balaban. The musical narrative is majestic, powerful and intensely beautiful. This piece is performed in Shur mugham [Əbu Əta], evoking an ecstatic mood that echoes the Sufi ceremony of remembrance. Although the sub-mode Əbu Əta (Or Abū ’Atā) is seldom used in recent decades, it has been part of the Azerbaijani mugham system for centuries. The composer has chosen to honor this particular traditional expression here, and in doing so seeks to contribute to the revival of this complex musical language. Shirvanshah’s Palace is a 15th century complex in Baku where the revered philosopher and sage, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, taught and prayed and where his tomb is located. Performed live at the Opening Ceremony of the UNESCO 43rd World Heritage Committee held at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. CREDITS Musical Director & Composer: Sami Yusuf Creative Producer & Director: Andrei Boltenko Soloists: Oud: Mirjavad Jafarov Kemanche: Toghrul Asadullayev Balaban: Shirzad Fataliyev Tar: Sahib Pashazade Listen to ‘Azerbaijan: A Timeless Presence (Live)’: http://andnt.co/AzerbaijanATimelessPresence