Mamagama believe in good music, peace and exceptionally good houmous.
Guitarist Hasan Heydar, 31, drummer Arif Imanov, 29 and lead singer Asaf (Sefael) Mishiyev, 32, are speaking to Jewish News ahead of the Azerbaijani band’s performance at the most kitsch television event of the year: Eurovision.
Named in honour of an Alan Parsons Project song, the group from capital city Baku have been together for four years, with their sound inspired by Daft Punk and American disco band, Chicthey.
The trio released debut single “My Medicine” in 2022 and gained popularity with an award-winning performance of their song ‘Dreamer’ at Kënga Magjike, one of the biggest music festivals in Albania.
Shortlisted for the 2023 Azerbaijani selection for Eurovision but ultimately not selected, this year they were internally confirmed as representatives of their country (which last won Eurovision in 2011) in February with their entry ‘Run with U’.
Straight off the bat, Asaf, who withdrew from his country’s version of singing competition The Voice to focus on Eurovision, says that Yuval Raphael, Israel’s contender, is his favourite. “Best song, best singer, best artist.”
A perhaps unsurprising response from a Jewish singer in a predominately Muslim country, (his bandmates are both Muslim), it’s still a refreshing admission for a contest whose much loved reputation for over-the-top, glitter-glam, camp spectacle has become overshadowed by ugly political activism.
Mamagama. Left to right: Hasan, Asaf, Arif.
This week, the Artists for Palestine group published an open letter from 72 former Eurovision competitors, calling for a ban on Israel, and its national broadcaster KAN, from this year’s contest in Switzerland. Last year’s Israeli entrant, Eden Golan, had to be surrounded by security guards, isolated in her room for her own safety.
All this appears to be very firmly background noise to Mamagama. They say they are, albeit most likely at the recommendation of their management, determinedly non-political.
They don’t “mix politics with the music contest. Music is music and culture is culture. We want to represent our culture and our values, which are about love, about peace, no matter from which country you are from, which nation or which religion”.
Today Asaf , who enjoys a Friday night meal with his Chabad rabbi, says: “My parents are Jewish, my grandparents are Jewish. The mountain Jews of Azerbaijan speak Juhuri; this is the Persian language, like Ashkenazi Jewish people speak Yiddish. We have two Jewish schools in Baku and two synagogues.”
Mamagama
He adds that every Azerbaijani “can absolutely call Azerbaijan his motherland, because no matter your nation or your culture, everyone here lives in peace and love. We celebrate our holidays together, no matter whether it’s a Jewish holiday, Muslim holiday or Christian holiday. Jewish people here are just like brothers and sisters”.
Hassan, a Lebanese Arab who has been friends with Asaf for more than a decade, agrees: “I’m non-religious; I was born in a Muslim family and in the Muslim culture, but we respected Jews. There was no pressure or hatred towards Jews in Azerbaijan. It’s normal for me. Many of my childhood friends are Jews, as is my best friend. I respect Jews, and I respect everything about your culture.”
Rather fittingly, whilst they attempt to teach Jewish News some Azerbaijan words, the first is ‘Salaam’, which means ‘peace’.
The trio happily perform an acapella version of their song, discuss shawarma and tabouleh and how their costumes will incorporate some traditional Azerbaijan elements.
Arif name-checks Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Amy Winehouse as being among his favourite musicians, voting Brazil’s Eloy Casagrande, England’s John Bonham and the USA’s Matt Garstka as three of the best drummers in the world.
Returning to the cultural juggernaut that is Eurovision, they collectively say that during the competition, “we’ll just do our job. We’ll just go out there and do our best. And Yuval should know that she has a friend in us. Mamagama are her friends, and we will support her.”
- Mamagama will perform in the second half of the first Eurovision semi-final on May 13.
