khananda

A khananda (Azerbaijani: xanəndə خواننده [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.