The phenomenon of SoNoR ensemble in the context of the cultural paradigm shift at the turn of the 21st century

Abstract

Towards the end of the millennium, a once-vast empire had collapsed, causing a multitude of disruptions. This was an empire that had won World War II and become one of the world's superpowers for many decades; the empire that had created a completely new ideology and culture that had spread throughout many of its constituent nations as well as a number of neighboring countries. Music had been an important part of this culture. The demise of such a vast empire resulted, on one hand, in many of its component nations gaining liberty, but on the other, in various military, economic, and legal problems, among which should be mentioned a cultural and ideological vacuum. At the end of the last century, Azerbaijan, as well as other post-Soviet countries, was going through a period of crisis and culture shock, during which all governmental culture programs had been shut down. SoNoR, a contemporary music ensemble, appeared as an alternative to those programs during the darkest period of chaos. It was founded solely by a group of enthusiasts, and filled a cultural niche, becoming an image of contemporary music in the country for many years. SoNoR arranged concerts, festivals, workshops, and premieres both nationally and internationally. The band also established cultural exchanges with various countries. This article concerns the phenomenon of this group in the context of the turn of the century, as well as an attempt to analyze the main reasons for its ups and downs and eventual breakup.