Kirsehir, city of music
Door: Liselotte
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Liselotte
28 Juni 2011 | Turkije, Sivas
Hello everybody!
Finally I found some time to write about our stay in Kirsehir, which we left yesterday for Sivas. As always we have been very busy, but this time maybe even more, as Kirsehir really turned out to be a city of music.
I will make an attempt to summarize some of the (mutually interwoven) aspects of the music and musical life in Kirsehir and environment…
1. NESET ERTAS
The influence of this living legend is ubiquitous in Kirsehir and environment. Neset Ertas was born in a small village, that even doesn’t exist on the map (Kirtillar or Kirtilar). His father, Muharrem Ertas, was also a poor but very gifted musician, who became famous for his expressive singing (accompanying himself on his saz) of bozlaks (heartbreaking free-metre songs about love, vendettas and tribe fightings, thus telling the stories of individuals and groups of the people who sing them). Neset Ertas managed to break free from his poor environment to become very famous and popular all over Turkey and even worldwide. Neset Ertas lived for about thirty years in Germany, but returned to Turkey where he now lives in Izmir.
Neset’s music tells the story of his life and people, the abdals from Central Anatolia [I will explain the ‘abdal’ concept a bit further]. He became a symbol and representative of his culture and has many fans and followers. Almost every musical manifestation we observed in Kirsehir and environment, was an attempt to get as close as possible to Neset’s music and performance style. We witnessed this in a football club party, in a folk dance lesson, in a music festival, in wedding parties, in a music café and in shops. Wherever live music is played in Kirsehir and environment, Neset’s stamp is clearly manifest. From one side a good thing, as this music is incredibly beautiful and touching with its complex and long melodic lines, whether it is a sad and painful bozlak or an energetic and cheerful dance song. But from the other side, the omnipresence of this style puts other folk styles under pressure, which probably means that they will die out sooner or later.
2. ABDALS
The abdal culture is the aspect of Kirsehir and Central-Anatolian music culture which is most difficult to elucidate. Not least because the Turks themselves seem to be not sure about their definition. Originally, the abdal concept has a religious significance, close to mystic Sufism and its ‘dervishes’. Abdals are said to originate from Central-Asia, which could be either Iran or the Turkic motherland; apparently they have bonds with the Turkmen nomad tribes, which migrated into present Turkey and finally settled in Central-Anatolia.
Although Abdals seem to be an integral and important part of Turkish culture, nowadays they appear to be a bit peripheral, a bit separated from the cultural and intellectual centre. In Emirdag and Kirsehir (as probably in the whole of Central-Anatolia), abdals were specialised in music making. They have become the professional class of musicians in Turkish society. They are engaged and paid to play at whichever social happening where music is needed. Wedding parties represent the largest part of their field of activity, but they also perform on other occasions, such as circumcision ceremonies, festivals, private parties etc. At weddings and other parties, they play both the traditional instrument duo of davul and zurna, and the more ‘modern’/urban instrument combination of saz and keyboard (and singing of course). Both performance modalities are equally important and are occurring at the required moments (sometimes even simultaneously).
Abdals are paid for their work, but this payment is probably rather low, as they are generally poor people living a bit at the margins of society [although their living conditions and social status are remarkably better than that of the gypsies, which whom they share certain traits]. Normally, abdals perform what they are asked and paid for by their employer of the moment, but they also try to please the audience or guests by playing music especially for them, in order to receive a nice tip (baksheesh).
Abdals in Kirsehir are specialised in the typical music of the region, in this case the music which is/was performed by their celebrated fellow Neset Ertas. Different performance modalities of this music are (always accompanied by singing, except for the davul-zurna combination):
- davul + zurna
- baglama solo
- baglama + darbuka
- baglama, darbuka and other percussion instruments
- baglama + violin and percussion
- baglama + keyboard (sometimes with other instruments from the list above).
3. WEDDING PARTIES
Let’s have a closer but brief look at the course of a traditional wedding party in Kirsehir and environment (districts or villages).
A wedding consists of three, or rather two and a half, days. The first day (generally on Friday) is a kind of preparatory day, on which the family of the bride and the family of the groom celebrate separately, although the family of the bride is invited at the groom’s place to eat dinner and have some fun together (dance). Music is played all day long, both by a keyboard/baglama player and singer, and by a davul-zurna duo who welcome all guests.
The second day is a very important day, on which the bride and groom wear special clothes provided with symbolic features. Music continues all day, like the previous day, but this second day, more visits are alternately paid by the family of the groom and the family of the bride. The first visit of the groom’s family to the bride’s place is the ‘nisan töreni’ (engagement ceremony), on which the couple receives the gifts from both families, generally in the form of golden coins (existing in three weight categories). After the consumption of the dinner by both families at the groom’s place, both families move over again to the bride’s place, where the ‘henna night’ takes place. Henna is applied to the bride and groom’s left hand. Girls from both family perform traditional songs while doing this.
The third day is the shortest day of the total ceremony (to the musicians’ great relieve, as they have been playing non-stop for two long days!). The family of the groom prepares and comes over to the bride’s place to ‘kidnap’ the bride. This phase is called ‘gelin alma’, which is traditionally a very emotional moment for the family of the bride, although customs and society are changed and getting married doesn’t mean anymore that the bride’s family won’t see their daughter back for a long time… Still, tradition tell the parents and other relatives of the girl to cry and that’s what they do. The bride enters the decorated ‘gelin arabasi’ and is driven, sitting next to her red-hot husband, to her new home (the house of the boy), of course accompanied by a long ‘convoy’ tooting all the way long. Upon arriving at the boy’s home, a vase is smashed on the ground and a chicken is decapitated. The chicken’s blood is applied on the brides forehead, which seems to be rather unpleasant as she only started smiling after it was removed again… A short dance by all the family members rounds off the whole ceremony after which the newly married couple enters their new home.
4. TRUE FOLK CULTURE
Apart from Neset Ertas’ music and style, and from the expanded professional musicians class of Kirsehir and environments, folk music still lives on amongst the normal, non-musician, people. And amongst the women, who were traditionally not allowed to make music (except from certain occasions such as lamenting on someone’s death, singing lullabies for their babies and singing songs while working together with other women), let alone become a musician. We had the chance to listen to really touching and adequate singing performances by two old woman and one old man, each in their own more or less intimate environment. Their songs were so touching by their pureness and authenticity, telling the stories of their lives and pondering important events concerning the live and death of people near to them. Certainly this true manifestations of real folk music are amongst the most important findings of this field research, and will be truly inspiring for creative processing back in Belgium….
Let’s now discover the music of Sivas. I hope to research Alevi music and also the legacy of the most famous of all asiks, Asik Veysel.
All the best and many regards,
Liselotte
Finally I found some time to write about our stay in Kirsehir, which we left yesterday for Sivas. As always we have been very busy, but this time maybe even more, as Kirsehir really turned out to be a city of music.
I will make an attempt to summarize some of the (mutually interwoven) aspects of the music and musical life in Kirsehir and environment…
1. NESET ERTAS
The influence of this living legend is ubiquitous in Kirsehir and environment. Neset Ertas was born in a small village, that even doesn’t exist on the map (Kirtillar or Kirtilar). His father, Muharrem Ertas, was also a poor but very gifted musician, who became famous for his expressive singing (accompanying himself on his saz) of bozlaks (heartbreaking free-metre songs about love, vendettas and tribe fightings, thus telling the stories of individuals and groups of the people who sing them). Neset Ertas managed to break free from his poor environment to become very famous and popular all over Turkey and even worldwide. Neset Ertas lived for about thirty years in Germany, but returned to Turkey where he now lives in Izmir.
Neset’s music tells the story of his life and people, the abdals from Central Anatolia [I will explain the ‘abdal’ concept a bit further]. He became a symbol and representative of his culture and has many fans and followers. Almost every musical manifestation we observed in Kirsehir and environment, was an attempt to get as close as possible to Neset’s music and performance style. We witnessed this in a football club party, in a folk dance lesson, in a music festival, in wedding parties, in a music café and in shops. Wherever live music is played in Kirsehir and environment, Neset’s stamp is clearly manifest. From one side a good thing, as this music is incredibly beautiful and touching with its complex and long melodic lines, whether it is a sad and painful bozlak or an energetic and cheerful dance song. But from the other side, the omnipresence of this style puts other folk styles under pressure, which probably means that they will die out sooner or later.
2. ABDALS
The abdal culture is the aspect of Kirsehir and Central-Anatolian music culture which is most difficult to elucidate. Not least because the Turks themselves seem to be not sure about their definition. Originally, the abdal concept has a religious significance, close to mystic Sufism and its ‘dervishes’. Abdals are said to originate from Central-Asia, which could be either Iran or the Turkic motherland; apparently they have bonds with the Turkmen nomad tribes, which migrated into present Turkey and finally settled in Central-Anatolia.
Although Abdals seem to be an integral and important part of Turkish culture, nowadays they appear to be a bit peripheral, a bit separated from the cultural and intellectual centre. In Emirdag and Kirsehir (as probably in the whole of Central-Anatolia), abdals were specialised in music making. They have become the professional class of musicians in Turkish society. They are engaged and paid to play at whichever social happening where music is needed. Wedding parties represent the largest part of their field of activity, but they also perform on other occasions, such as circumcision ceremonies, festivals, private parties etc. At weddings and other parties, they play both the traditional instrument duo of davul and zurna, and the more ‘modern’/urban instrument combination of saz and keyboard (and singing of course). Both performance modalities are equally important and are occurring at the required moments (sometimes even simultaneously).
Abdals are paid for their work, but this payment is probably rather low, as they are generally poor people living a bit at the margins of society [although their living conditions and social status are remarkably better than that of the gypsies, which whom they share certain traits]. Normally, abdals perform what they are asked and paid for by their employer of the moment, but they also try to please the audience or guests by playing music especially for them, in order to receive a nice tip (baksheesh).
Abdals in Kirsehir are specialised in the typical music of the region, in this case the music which is/was performed by their celebrated fellow Neset Ertas. Different performance modalities of this music are (always accompanied by singing, except for the davul-zurna combination):
- davul + zurna
- baglama solo
- baglama + darbuka
- baglama, darbuka and other percussion instruments
- baglama + violin and percussion
- baglama + keyboard (sometimes with other instruments from the list above).
3. WEDDING PARTIES
Let’s have a closer but brief look at the course of a traditional wedding party in Kirsehir and environment (districts or villages).
A wedding consists of three, or rather two and a half, days. The first day (generally on Friday) is a kind of preparatory day, on which the family of the bride and the family of the groom celebrate separately, although the family of the bride is invited at the groom’s place to eat dinner and have some fun together (dance). Music is played all day long, both by a keyboard/baglama player and singer, and by a davul-zurna duo who welcome all guests.
The second day is a very important day, on which the bride and groom wear special clothes provided with symbolic features. Music continues all day, like the previous day, but this second day, more visits are alternately paid by the family of the groom and the family of the bride. The first visit of the groom’s family to the bride’s place is the ‘nisan töreni’ (engagement ceremony), on which the couple receives the gifts from both families, generally in the form of golden coins (existing in three weight categories). After the consumption of the dinner by both families at the groom’s place, both families move over again to the bride’s place, where the ‘henna night’ takes place. Henna is applied to the bride and groom’s left hand. Girls from both family perform traditional songs while doing this.
The third day is the shortest day of the total ceremony (to the musicians’ great relieve, as they have been playing non-stop for two long days!). The family of the groom prepares and comes over to the bride’s place to ‘kidnap’ the bride. This phase is called ‘gelin alma’, which is traditionally a very emotional moment for the family of the bride, although customs and society are changed and getting married doesn’t mean anymore that the bride’s family won’t see their daughter back for a long time… Still, tradition tell the parents and other relatives of the girl to cry and that’s what they do. The bride enters the decorated ‘gelin arabasi’ and is driven, sitting next to her red-hot husband, to her new home (the house of the boy), of course accompanied by a long ‘convoy’ tooting all the way long. Upon arriving at the boy’s home, a vase is smashed on the ground and a chicken is decapitated. The chicken’s blood is applied on the brides forehead, which seems to be rather unpleasant as she only started smiling after it was removed again… A short dance by all the family members rounds off the whole ceremony after which the newly married couple enters their new home.
4. TRUE FOLK CULTURE
Apart from Neset Ertas’ music and style, and from the expanded professional musicians class of Kirsehir and environments, folk music still lives on amongst the normal, non-musician, people. And amongst the women, who were traditionally not allowed to make music (except from certain occasions such as lamenting on someone’s death, singing lullabies for their babies and singing songs while working together with other women), let alone become a musician. We had the chance to listen to really touching and adequate singing performances by two old woman and one old man, each in their own more or less intimate environment. Their songs were so touching by their pureness and authenticity, telling the stories of their lives and pondering important events concerning the live and death of people near to them. Certainly this true manifestations of real folk music are amongst the most important findings of this field research, and will be truly inspiring for creative processing back in Belgium….
Let’s now discover the music of Sivas. I hope to research Alevi music and also the legacy of the most famous of all asiks, Asik Veysel.
All the best and many regards,
Liselotte
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
