Bulbul was born in 1897 in , a hamlet in the former royal gardens between
Shusha and
Khankandi. His mother was from the village of Pareular, the daughter of a nomad
Kurd. He was known for his musical talent since his childhood, which is why people nicknamed him Bulbul ("nightingale" in
Azerbaijani). He chose it as a stage name when he became involved in professional music. While still a young
khananda, he was invited to
Baku in 1920 to perform the role of Karam in
Uzeyir Hajibeyov's opera
Asli and Karam. There he became acquainted with European-style opera and decided to excel in this genre. He later studied music and vocal arts at Azerbaijan State Conservatoire (now known as the
Baku Academy of Music), where he was admitted in 1921, as well as in the
La Scala Theatre in
Milan, Italy. In his songs, Bulbul was able to blend national manners of performance with traditions of Italian vocal school. He was also first to play the lead role of Koroglu in Uzeyir Hajibeyov's opera of the same name in 1938. Throughout his life, Bulbul was the vocal performer and the co-author of a number of songs and
romances. Bulbul was also known for his music-related publications and teaching vocal arts at his
alma mater, the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire between 1932 and 1961. He acquired a PhD degree in music in 1940. His
monographs nowadays serve as an important source for those studying
Azerbaijani music. Bulbul was the first musician to publish study guides and manuals used in teaching students how to play the
tar,
kamancheh and
balaban, traditional musical instruments of Azerbaijan. Bulbul was awarded the highest artistic order of the
Soviet Union –
People's Artist of the USSR, as well as the
"Stella di Garibaldi" order in Italy. He died in
Baku. His second son Polad Mammadov also known as
Polad Bülbüloğlu, was from his second marriage to
Adelaida Mammadova, also an accomplished singer and actress. Polad is currently the Member of
National Assembly. ==Commemoration==