Seyid Mirbabayev

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Seyid Mirbabayev (1867–1953) was an Azerbaijani singer (khanende) and later a wealthy oil businessman. Born in Baku, he lived there and took part in Baku mugham gatherings, making gramophone recordings, including a 1906 invitation to record in Riga. He became famous at Baku weddings; after singing at the wedding of the son of millionaire Shikhbalayev, he received land from the groom’s uncle, and an oil fountain was found on that land, making him a millionaire. As his wealth grew, he moved away from music and even destroyed some of his records. In Baku he bought a house known as the Governor's House, where the Azerbaijan State Conservatory would be located from 1920, and he rented it to the city’s governors. He also lived at the Azneft building in Baku until the Soviet power in 1920. After 1920 he left for Paris, then moved to Tehran under the protection of the Ashurbeyov family, where he lived until his death in 1953. A prototype of Seyid Mirbabayev was created by composer Jahangir Jahangirov in his opera The Fate of the Singer.