Sami Yusuf
Azerbaijani musical tradition can be traced back to singing bards called "Ashiqs", a vocation that survives. Modern Ashiqs play the saz (lute) and sing "dastans" (historical ballads). Other musical instruments include the "tar" (another type of lute), "balaban" (a wind instrument), "kamancha" (fiddle), and the "dhol" (drums). Azerbaijani classical music, called "mugham", is often an emotional singing performance. Composers Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Gara Garayev and Fikret Amirov created a hybrid style that combines Western classical music with "mugham". Other Azerbaijanis, notably Vagif and Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, mixed jazz with "mugham". Some Azerbaijani musicians have received international acclaim, including Rashid Behbudov (who could sing in over eight languages), Muslim Magomayev (a pop star from the Soviet era), Googoosh, and more recently Sami Yusuf.