Music in Dagestan

The music of Dagestan includes both the Dagestani Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Academic Dance Ensemble. Gotfrid Hasanov, said to be the first professional composer from Dagestan, wrote Khochbar, the first Dagestani opera, in 1945.

Dagestani folk dances include a fast paced dance called the lezginka.

Extensive notes about Daghestani music can be found in the liner notes of the CD release Ay Lazzat, Oh Pleasure. Songs and melodies from Daghestan (Pan 2031 CD, Pan Records, the Netherlands, 1995). The disc particularly features the vocals of two famous Daghestani chanteuses, Zuhra Shandieva (1966-1993), who mainly sang traditional music in the Nogai language, and Sanijat Sultanova (b. 1967), singing in the Avar language.