Armenian Composer Arno Babajanyan’s Music Labeled ‘Baku Folklore’; Family Seeks Legal Action

Armenian composer Arno Babajanyan, a central figure in Soviet-era popular music, is again at the center of controversy after his work was labeled “Baku folklore” on Azerbaijani social media — a claim his family says is false and erases the composer’s authorship.

The label appeared under posts featuring performances by Azerbaijani singer Muslim Magomayev, whose most famous songs were written by Babajanyan. In several Azerbaijani-language posts, Babajanyan’s name is omitted entirely.

The issue was raised publicly by the composer’s son, Ara Babajanyan, in an interview with Sputnik Armenia. He said that songs performed by Magomayev are frequently shared online without crediting the Armenian composer who wrote the music.

In one example, the song “The Devil’s Wheel” listed poet Robert Rozhdestvensky as the lyricist and identified the music as “Baku folklore.” In fact, the lyrics were written by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, and the music was composed by Arno Babajanyan.

Ara Babajanyan said he has contacted lawyers to address what he described as a distortion of authorship.

“Let’s see what the results will be,” he said. “This often happens when concerts dedicated to Muslim Magomayev are held.”

He stressed that the dispute is not directed at Magomayev personally.

“I have great respect and affection for Muslim,” Babajanyan said. “We considered him family. He would come to our house, sit at the piano for hours, sing and talk.”

The concern, he said, is that Babajanyan’s Armenian identity and creative role are being pushed aside as his music circulates online and at public events.

For Armenians, the issue touches on cultural preservation and historical memory. Babajanyan is widely regarded as a symbol of Armenian contribution to Soviet and international music. His supporters say removing his name goes beyond error and amounts to erasure.

Babajanyan and Magomayev formed one of the most celebrated partnerships in Soviet pop music. Beginning in the 1960s, their collaboration produced songs that became classics across the USSR, including “Queen of Beauty,” “Melody,” and “Thank You.”

Their first joint work was “I Remember Bulgaria.” It was followed by “The Best City in the World” (1964, lyrics by Leonid Derbenyov), “Queen of Beauty” (1965, lyrics by Anatoly Gorokhov), “The Devil’s Wheel” (1969, lyrics by Yevtushenko), “Wedding” (1971, lyrics by Rozhdestvensky), and “Bring the Music Back to Me” (1975, lyrics by Andrei Voznesensky).

Decades later, the renewed dispute shows how easily authorship can be altered in the digital age. As classic performances are reposted online, credits are changed, blurred or removed.

For the Babajanyan family, the issue is serious enough to pursue legal action. Ara Babajanyan said the goal is simple: to ensure that future generations know who actually wrote the music that defined an era.

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