Politics kills art: Djivan Gasparyan told BBC

Legendary player of the duduk Djivan Gasparyan performed in London’s Barbarican concert hall with Iranian Hossein Alizadeh, reports BBC particularly stating that cooperation of the musicians has lasted for more than 10 years. 84 year-old Gasparyan continues his active musical activity performing with the quartet of duduk players, among which his grandson Djivan is also playing. Before the concert BBC reporter Mark Grigorian talked to the world-famous musician.
During the conversation, replying to the reporter’s question whether there are geographical borders for the duduk player, Djivan Gasparyan particularly stated: “I perform with Iranian, Turkish and Azeri musicians, there are no any geographical borders for my music. I don’t have any problem with any of those nations. I’m a man of art, I don’t interfere with politics, it’s already 73 years that I’ve been performing as a professional musician.”
Touching upon his performance with Azeri singer Alim Kasimov 9 years ago in London, Gasparyan said Kasimov is a great musician, remembering that he was frequently performing with famous singers of Baku like Bulbul (Azeri opera singer, one of the founders of Azeri national music theater), Said Rustamov, Khan Shushinski, Shovket Alekperova: that time friendship established between the musicians. “We were good friends, but now very unpleasant things go on, of course, all that is politics. Politics kills art, artists shouldn’t have connection with politics. Nations commonly should love one another and not kill. Mafiosos misinform miserable nations, intoxicate them and dispose them against one another, and then begin to accumulate money on that account.”
Why should we take weapons? Why should we kill people? We love peace, we love to sing and ato dance, don’t we?
This is how nations should live and be friends,” Djivan Gasparyan concluded.