Shalakho ( ) is a folk dance performed throughout all of the Caucasus. It's distinguished by its time signature and fast-paced, upbeat style. SHALAKHO is a 6/8 dance popular throughout the Caucasus. The folk versions varied, in some areas being a woman’s solo dance, and in others a man's solo. The most well known stage version depicts two men competing for a woman's favors. It can be performed with one or more dancers, male or female, dancing freestyle in the Caucasian manner. The movements for women can be soft and lyrical, and include little grapevine steps and hand gestures typical of the solo dance. The actual music is fast and spirited, and the male dancing reflects this, being expansive and vigorous. 1. կովկասեան արագ պարի տեսակ մը:2. ասոր պարեղանակը: [1. a type of Caucasian fast dance. 2. an Assyrian dance style.]იუმორისტული ხასიათის ქალაქური ცეკვა; სრულდება მამაკაცთა მიერ.
[A humorous urban dance.
It is performed by men.]ŞALAXO is. [gürc. ] İti oynanılan şən oyun havası.[SHALAKHO noun [georgian borrowing] Cheerful dance tune which is performed rapidly.]Şalaxo
– Azərbaycan xalq oyun havası. Sözün etimologiyası bu şən, nəşəli və qıvraq rəqs musiqisinin mənşəyini aydın surətdə bəlliləşdirir: Şalaxo – şələküm (daha doğrusu, şələ yüküm) sözünün illər ərzində çox işlədilərək təhəvvül və təhrif olunmuş bəsit şəklidir.
Məlum olduğu kimi, hələ qədim zamanlardan bəri, azəri xalq oyunbaz və masqaraçıları, o cümlədən ayı və ya meymunoynadanlar şəhər və kəndləri gəzərək heyvanlarına öyrətdikləri müxtəlif hərəkətləri (mayallaq aşmaq, qabaq pəncə üzərində duruş və yürüş, ətinə bir çomaq atıb sürü otaran çobanı yamsılamaq və s.), həm də bir neçə çubuq bağlısından ibarət odun şələsini dalına alıb odunçunu təmsil tərzində də öz bacarıqlarını tamaşaçılar qarşısında nümayiş etdirmişlər.
[SHALAKHO
— Azerbaijani folk dance tune. The etymology of this word directly makes clear the origin of this lively, cheerful and agile dance: Shalakho is a simplified form of shalakum (to be more precise, shala yukum), which has evolved and has been getting distorted in the course of years being used a lot.
As it is known, since ancient times, Azerbaijani clowns and entertainers, including bear or monkey entertainers, would travel from cities to villages demonstrating people their abilities by showing the tricks they have taught their animals (such as doing a somersault, standing and walking on their front paws, imitating a shepherd herding a flock with a stick on its body, etc.) and also by putting a bundle of sticks on the back of an animal, alluding to a lumberjack carrying logs (Azerbaijani: şələ).
]Bu, Zaqafqaziyada genis yayılmış, toylarda ən sevilən və ən qədim kişi rəqslərindəndir. Yaranma tarixi maraqlıdır. Keçmişdə kənd-kənd dolasan qaraçılar ayı və meymun gəzdirər, camaatın qarşısında onları oynadardılar. Heyvanları gəzdirən qaraçının qaval cala-çala oxuduğu yeknəsəq, sadə bir melodiya ahəngində ayı ya da meymun hoppanar, mayallaq vurar, oynardı. Bələdçi qaraçı onun kürəyinə bir agac parçası qoyardı. Guya ki, bir şələ çırpı yükləyib, işarə edərdi ki, tamaşaçıların qabağından keçsin. Özü isə oxuyardı. Oxunan mahnıda tez-tez "şələ" sözündən istifadə edilərdi ki, "şalaxo" sozü də bu kökdən törəyib. Xalq arasında "şələxo" deyirlər. Şalaxonu eyni vaxtda 2-3 adam oynayır, lakin onlardan birinin ifa etdiyi rəqsin şəkli digərinə oxşamır. Burada əsasən oynayanlar arasında bacarıq, məharət, ifa texnikası yarışı gedir. [This is the oldest and best loved men's dance at weddings and is widespread across the Caucasus. It has an interesting history. Gypsies travelled around the villages and took with them monkeys and bears to put on shows for the local people. To the accompaniment of a simple melody on the tambourine the animals jumped, leapt and performed cartwheels and somersaults. The owner put a piece of wood on the back of the animal symbolizing a bundle of logs and ordered it to appear before the spectators. The word "shala" (Azerbaijani for "a burden, load") could often be heard in this song which led to the word "shalaxo". Popularly pronounced as "şələxo". Two to three people dance "shalaxo" at the same time but each of them performs a different dance. The dancers compete in skill, technique and artistry.]
Name Armenian sources Per Karine Hayrapetyan, from Pan-Armenian International Academy of Sciences the name Shalakho () derives from Shalakhoi () with the y-semi-vowel falling. She further argues, that the name is related to the Armenian totems and the Shirak Plain.«Շալախոյ» ծիսական պարը կամ անունը գաղափարախոսություն է, այն ամփոփում է մի քանի դիցական գաղափարների միասնություն: Քանի որ պարը ծես եւ հանդիսություն է, ապա մեր դիցերը հանդես են եկել տոտեմներով: Շալախոյ պարը մի շարք տոտեմների միասնական ծիսակարգ պար է. Շահ առյուծի եւ խոյի, ցուլի, արտի արեւակիր տոտեմ խորհուրդների: Շալախո-ն Շալախոյ բառն է, յ-կիսաձայնի անկումով:
[The ritual dance or name "Shalakhoy" is an ideology, it summarizes the unity of several mythological ideas. Since the dance is a ritual and a celebration, our mythologists came up with totems. The Shalakhoy dance is a unified ritual dance of a number of totems: the sun-bearing totem councils of the lion and the ram, bull, and field. Shalakho is the word Shalakhoy, with the y-semi-vowel falling.]Շալախո եզրաբառը հայերենում նշանակում է վաղահաս, կանխահաս. հայերենում Կարմիր ծիրանին ասում են շալախ ծիրան, շալախ են ասում սեխին, որը հայերենում ունի նաեւ շամամ անունը:
[The term shalakho in Armenian means early, premature. In Armenian, the Red Apricot is called shalakh apricot, and the melon is called shalak, which in Armenian also has the name shamam.] Additionally, she draws a parallel between the name and the word shalax (). Georgian sources In Georgian the term Kintouri () is equivalent to kinto () + -uri (). The term is used interchangeably with Shalakho () and Baghdaduri (). The Georgian term Baghdaduri () is equivalent to baghdad () + -uri (). The term is used interchangeably with Shalakho () and Kintouri (). Azerbaijani sources Per Azerbaijani composer Afrasiyab Badalbeyli, in his Explanatory Monographic Musical Dictionary () the term Shalakho derives from Shalakum (), which is an elision of the phrase shala yukum (). Azerbaijani philologist Aliheydar Orucov, in his Explanatory Dictionary of Azerbaijani Language () marks the word as a Georgian loanword. According to Aynur Talıbova, in her Get Closer To Azerbaijan () the name Shalakho owes its origin to the moment when clowns and entertainers in Zaqatala would put a piece of wood on an animal's back during their performance, thus alluding to a bundle of logs, then singing a song where lyrics contained multiple use of the word shala (). For the name Shalaqoy () compare Azerbaijani phrase shalani qoy, gal doyushak (), which could have influenced it.Şələni qoy, gəl dalaşaq (döyüşək) — heç bir səbəb olmadan dalaşmağa can atan adam haqqında. [Put your burden, let's quarrel (fight) — about a person who eagerly picks a fight or quarrels without any reason.] Other languages Bezhta term shalakho (), Hunzib term shalakho () and Tsakhur term shalakho () are thought to be a borrowed from Georgian.
History
The Shalakho dance developed in the urban centers of the South Caucasus, particularly in Tiflis (now Tbilisi), which in the 19th century was an important cultural hub with a significant Armenian population active in music and dance. The city was ethnically diverse, and various communities participated in public performances and entertainment, including Shalakho performed with duduk, barrel organ, and other popular instruments. In this cultural environment, Shalakho was performed by local musicians and dancers, with the majority being of Armenian origin.
These performances were part of popular urban entertainment, often including comedic acts and animal displays, such as bears or monkeys. The performing groups were ethnically mixed, including Romani entertainers.
In records The melody was first recorded and arranged for piano by the Armenian composer Nikoghayos Tigranyan in 1895 and was published later in 1900.
In 1937, Azerbaijani composer Said Rustamov would publish the notation of the Shalakho dance in his Azerbaijani Dance Melodies
Since 1938 the dance has been a part of a repertoire of Tatul Altunyan's Armenian National Song and Dance Ensemble ().
The dance was performed in a 1940 Azerbaijani ballet Maiden Tower () by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli.– Бадалбейли в своем балете свободно развил композиторскую мысль и в то же время любовно и бережно использовал красоты народных мелодий. Особенной свежестью выделяются такие народные мелодии, как «Шалахо», «Ай бери бах», на основе которых созданы эмоционально насыщенные танцы…
[– Badalbeyli freely developed the composer’s idea in his ballet and at the same time lovingly and carefully used the beauty of folk melodies. Such folk melodies as “Shalakho”, “Ai beri bakh” stand out for their special freshness, on the basis of which emotionally rich dances were created…] In 1942, it was performed in an Armenian ballet called Gayane () by Aram Khachaturian. Genuine examples of folk music are widely represented in "Gayane": labor, comic, lyrical, heroic songs and dances. Among the folk melodies used by the composer there are such wonderful examples as "Pshati par" (in "Gathering cotton"), "Gna ari man ari" (in "Dance of the Cotton"), "Shalakho", "Uzundara" (in the fourth act), etc. ...
Performance In a broadly spread version, two men dance in order to win the favour of a woman. The dance can be performed by one or more dancers, men or women, in a free, Caucasian style of performance. Motions of women can be slow and lyrical. Music of the dance is rapid, which is reflected in the expansive and energetic motions of men.
See also Lezginka, a collective name for Caucasian dances. Uzundara, a dance performed by Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Kochari, a dance performed by Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Georgians. Sari Gelin, a dance performed by Armenians and Azerbaijanis
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