Alim Qasimov

 Alim Qasimov certainly has his fans. The late Jeff Buckley described his singing as "pure and effortless" while The Guardian's Robin Denselow claimed him to be "one of the most thrilling, unashamedly emotional performers on the planet". The Kronos Quartet's David Harrington put a figure on it, announcing that, vocally, Alim is in "the top five of all-time". His is certainly an astonishing voice, pricking the skin and riding undulating air currents as he dramatically interprets the ancient poetic works of his homelands. One of the most cherished citizens of Azerbaijan, he sings both the homegrown classical music known as mugham and the ballads of the ashiqs, the local lute-playing troubadours. But whatever the song's origin, when that voice begins to ascend, you just know that Alim Qasimov means every single word of it. A genuine soulman. The Alim Qasimov Ensemble are produced in association with Serious and the Aga Khan Music Initiative, a programme of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.