Music Culture in Kırşehir
Folk music is a music genre created by folks' own cultural features. It is associated with other features of culture, so it includes local features. Anatolian folk music, is one of the folk music cultures in the world, has more details in the context of geographical features, ethnicity and locality. The folk music of Kırşehir’s region, is a type of the Anatolian folk music the folk music Kirsehir's region can be represented with the three main codes as Abdal, Bozlak, and saz.
Bozlak culture which are the expression of saz (music instrument) and saying culture in Anatolia, whose origins go back to Central Asia, It has an important place in Central Anatolia especially in Kırşehir. Poets (called Bozlaklar) such as Aşık Said, Muharrem Ertaş, Ali Çekiç, Şemsi Yastıman and the greatest saz and the master of lyricist Neşet Ertaş contributed to the development of music throughout the country and the emergence of new artists with new works.
Since the works are not recorded in the Ozan (Minstrel) tradition, the songs of Kırşehir are sang by different dialects and interpretations without being cited in many regions. The minstrels of Kirsehir have lived a modest life. Minstrels have moved the past to the present and the future by expressing life styles, thoughts and emotions of society with the saz and lyrics.
“Masters of Music and Play Group of Kırşehir” was established in 2001 under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in order to keep alive the culture of Bozlak, which is a part of the Abdal tradition and which has been saved from oblivion today. The masters of this community receive great acclaim at home and abroad and ensure the abdal tradition.
Instruments Used in Kırşehir Folk Music
Abdals in Kirsehir are specialised in the typical music of the region. Different performance modalities of this music are existed. Music is generated with the instruments listed below always accompanied by singing, except for the davul-zurna combination.
Music is generally created with combinations below.
- davul + zurna
- saz solo
- saz + darbuka
- saz, darbuka and other percussion instruments
- saz + violin and percussion
- saz + keyboard (sometimes with other instruments from the list above).