Meykhana is a metricalized musical-poetic genre belonging to Azerbaijan, sung or recited to the accompaniment of a percussion instrument. It is widespread mainly in Baku villages.
It is usually uttered impulsively by two or more poets and singers.
The originality of the meykhana genre, the variety of colors is more expressive and deep. The factor that gives the meykhana this unique look – the ostinat formula of the accompanying metrorhythmic base of the percussion instrument – shows that the meykhana genre has an ancient history.
During the twentieth century alone, the meykhana genre has undergone three stages of development. These stages coincide with extremely complex and contradictory events in the life of the Azerbaijani people. After the April 1920 revolution, the tavern was given ample space to spread a new ideology. Meykhana has gained a position in the repertoire of the “Critique-Application” theater and in fiction in general, as well as in stage productions.
During the war of 1941-1945, the tavern became a secret of the people, gave them encouragement, increased their hopes, beliefs and faith.
Starting from the 90s of the last century, the tavern has entered the third stage of development. However, at a time when the country is on the path to independence, a qualitatively new approach to the meykhana genre is being taken: meykhana competitions are held on TV channels, master artists are invited to folk festivals, meykhana collections are published and finally meykhana becomes an object of research.
Meyxana is a continuation and development of folk poetry in modern times. Each period has its own tavern. This genre, which captures the pulse of time and reflects the color of the environment that created it, has always been associated with folklore, always reflected the wishes and desires of the people, whipped the shortcomings of the time.
There are different types of meykhana genre in terms of structure and structure:
a) rhyming taverns
b) row taverns
c) beyt taverns
d) non-rhyming taverns, badihas