The latest episode of Baku TV's "Retro Baku" program is dedicated to the prominent meykhana master Aydin Khirdalanli.
The late artist's mother, Bikakhanim Gulieva, spoke about her attitude towards his art during his lifetime: "At first, I wasn't happy, I wasn't proud. It seemed strange to me; when I went somewhere and was called 'Aydin's mother,' I was very embarrassed. I thought, what's so special about it, it's just meykhana. Later, after his death, I began to be proud of him."
His colleague, meykhana master Orkhan Lokbatanli, spoke about the void left by Aydin Khirdalanli's absence and his distance from the art: "I always say, I wish we hadn't called it meykhana. For about a year now, I haven't been going to meykhana gatherings. I can't explain that emptiness, that loneliness to anyone. One feels estranged. You sit, look around, and realize those people are gone. I'm not saying others recite meykhana poorly, that's not the point. Simply, the familiar faces are no longer there."
