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Tofig Guliyev was a towering figure in 20th-century Azerbaijani music, renowned as a composer, pianist, conductor, and musicologist. He is celebrated for masterfully blending Azerbaijani folk traditions, particularly Mugham, with classical and jazz influences, creating a uniquely national yet cosmopolitan sound.Born in Baku, Guliyev graduated from the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. He founded and led the Azerbaijan State Estrada Orchestra and composed extensively across genres: symphonic works, operettas (notably the first Azerbaijani musical comedy, "Gelin"), film scores (including the iconic "Arshin Mal Alan"), popular songs, and jazz pieces. He received numerous state honors, including People's Artist of the USSR.

• Guliyev's opera "Gəlin qayası" (Bride's Rock) was banned by Soviet authorities shortly after its premiere for its perceived nationalist themes, a significant professional setback.
• He had a legendary creative partnership with singer Rashid Behbudov, composing many of Behbudov's most famous songs.
• Guliyev played a crucial role in developing Azerbaijani jazz, founding one of the first professional jazz orchestras in the USSR in Baku in 1938.
• His film score for "Arshin Mal Alan" (The Cloth Peddler) is one of the most recognizable and beloved pieces of music in Azerbaijan and beyond.
• He was awarded the prestigious title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1964, a rare honor for composers from the republics.