Lifestyle Photos

Azerbaijani musician Mutalim Damirov sings traditional mugham music at a cafe in Baku. As his voice rises to a long ululating lament, Damirov closes his eyes, lost in the ancient poetry that has been sung this way in Azerbaijan for centuries. In the background, two musicians improvise notes on the tar, a long-necked lute, and the kamancha, a four-stringed spiked violin.(AFP/File)