Khananda
| Music of Azerbaijan | |
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| General topics | |
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| Specific forms | |
| Traditional music | |
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| Media and performance | |
| Music festivals | |
| Music media | Medeniyyet TV |
| Nationalistic and patriotic songs | |
| National anthem | March of Azerbaijan |
A khananda (Azeri: xanəndə / خواننده, pronounced [xɑnænˈdæ]; Persian: خواننده; alternative spellings in English: khanende, khanande, khanandeh) is a name generally given to singers of mugham, an Azeri folk music genre. The word is of Persian origin and means "singer". When performing traditional mugham, a khananda is accompanied by a trio of musicians who play the tar, the kamancheh and the daf (tambourine). Often the khananda is the daf-player.
The exact origins of the art of khanandas have not been studied thoroughly however it is likely that it emerged during the urbanization in the medieval epoch. In the growing cities, khanandas would perform at the events organized by the nobility, on weddings and fairs, in caravanserais and tea houses. With Persian being the main language of the local literature at the time (mugham lyrics were based on Classical Islamic poetry), khanandas used it in their performance and therefore gained popularity mostly among the . Small town and village-dwellers to whom the Persian language was alien preferred the music of the ashigs (traveling bards singing in a vernacular language, i.e. Azeri). Classical khanandas followed a specific dress code which included a chokha, an arkhalig, an astrakhan cap (papag), rings and a belt decorated with gold. Some would even decorate their musical instruments depending on their status and prominence. Khanandas would traditionally gather in salons known as majlis-i khananda.
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