Ashik

An ashik (; ) or ashugh (; ) is traditionally a singer-poet and bard who accompanies his song—be it a dastan (traditional epic story, also known as ''hikaye'') or a shorter original composition—with a long-necked lute (usually a bağlama or saz) in Azerbaijani culture, including Turkish and South Azerbaijani and non-Turkic cultures of South Caucasus (primarily Armenian and Georgian). In Azerbaijan, the modern ashik is a professional musician who usually serves an apprenticeship, masters playing the bağlama, and builds up a varied but individual repertoire of Turkic folk songs. Provided by Wikipedia