Azerbaijan–U.S. Friendship Concert Takes Place in San Diego

A concert featuring Azerbaijani and American musicians took place in San Diego, California, USA.

The event, organized by the California Azerbaijan Friendship Association and the First Unitarian Universalist Church with the support of the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, brought together around 250 attendees, including members of the Azerbaijani community in Southern California, representatives of the local public, and groups representing various ethnic and religious communities, The Caspian Post reports citing AZERTAC.

The church representative delivered the opening remarks, welcoming the guests and noting that the concert was dedicated to friendship between the United States and Azerbaijan.

President of the California Azerbaijan Friendship Association Sevil Farajova also addressed the audience, emphasizing that the concert aimed to build bridges between the two cultures and strengthen friendship through music and art. Farajova highlighted the significance of November for Azerbaijanis, informing the guests about Victory Day, State Flag Day, and Constitution Day, and underlining their importance in Azerbaijan’s history.

The Azerbaijani musicians were first introduced on stage by composer, pianist, and producer Emin Karimi, who spoke about Azerbaijani music and the collaboration with American performers. Professional opera singer Julia Behbudov, before her performance, noted that 2025 marked three major anniversaries in Azerbaijan’s cultural history. She spoke about the great composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the film “Arshin Mal Alan, and the People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Rashid Behbudov, dedicating her performances to the memory of Rashid Behbudov.

Later, Amin Mahini introduced the kamancha to the audience, and Bahman Mirzazade spoke about the tar. The musicians performed “Gara teller” and “Khudayar tasnif.” American musicians Kevin DelMastro, Daniel Nilsen, Julian Strauss, Mark Reyes, and Danny Gutierrez performed exemplary pieces representing the blues, jazz, and classical schools of American music.

At the conclusion of the concert, Azerbaijani and American musicians jointly performed “Sarı Gelin”, “Goygol”, and other songs, marking the first such collaboration in California, and were met with warm applause. After the concert, guests were treated to delicious dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine.