Oriental Traditional Music from LPs & Cassettes: Turkey

Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts

Saturday, 4 August 2018

Tanburi Abdi Coşkun - Tanbur Taksimleri - Cassette released in Turkey in the 1980s or 1990s

Here we present excellent recordings by the great Tanbur player Abdi Coşkun. Unfortunately one doesn't find much information on him in the internet except that he was born in 1941 and that he was a student of the great Tanbur master Necdet Yaşar, himself a student Mesut Cemil Bey, the son of Tanburi Cemil Bey. In the booklet to the CD "Turquie - L'art du tanbur ottoman" (VDE-586), which is devoted to the plucked Tanbur, played by Abdi Coşkun, and the bowed Tanbur, played by Fahreddin Çimenli, the author Kudsi Erguner writes that Abdi Coşkun "has distinguished himself by his noble and creative style situated halfway between that of his master and the more traditional one of the famous Izzeddin Ökte."

There is a biography in Turkish in the internet, which the Google Translator translates unfortunately into quite some nonsense.

The Turkish Tanbur is considered the most important and most noble instrument of Ottoman music. In each generation in the last century there have been only very few great masters of this difficult instrument.

On the instrument see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_tambur

http://www.turkishmusicportal.org/de/instrumente/turkische-klassische-musik-tanbur

http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN,98665/tambur.html

This cassette finishes quite abruptly on side B. We have made the end a little bit more smooth by creating a short fade out.

In 2011 we had posted from the same series a cassette by the great Kemence master Hasan Esen.

flac
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About Izzeddin (Izzettin) Ökte (1910-1991)

Izzeddin Ökte was a famous Tanbur player who represented an old, very traditional style of Tanbur playing. His music was free of influences of the great Tanburi Cemil Bey (1873-1916), who was a very inspired musician with limitless creativity, who not only left an immense influence on Ottoman classical music, but also on many Arabic musicians of several generations. There are a number of CDs available by him. Recently a box of 10 CDs, 1 LP and a book was released by Kalan.

Izzeddin Ökte kept to the old art of Taksim playing and was and is only known to few connoiseurs. I remember still very vividly my first encounter with his music. In the mid 1980s I was in a Turkish bookshop in Berlin Kreuzberg and there was playing wonderful Tanbur music. I asked the owner if this music was for sale. He said that these were his private recordings and showed me a set of two cassettes by Izzeddin Ökte, published by an institution of music lovers in Istanbul. I never was able to obtain these recordings. Much later I discovered on a Turkish website (probably by the same institution of music lovers) these recordings as commercial downloads. But I was not able to download them as one needed apparently a Turkish bank card. See here for the first cassette and the second cassette.

In the meantime there are quite a number of recordings by him on YouTube, also partly those from the two cassettes. Here two beautiful longer collections of his music which I discovered a few days ago:

Wednesday, 1 August 2018

Sadreddin Özçimi - Ney Taksimleri - Cassette released in Turkey in 1980s or 1990s

Here another beautiful cassette by the great Neyzen (Ney master). Accompanied in the metrical parts by a Bendir.

flac
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Sunday, 29 July 2018

M. Sadreddin Özçimi - Ney Taksimleri - Cassette released in Turkey

Here we present a beautiful cassette of Taqsims (improvisations) on the Turkish Ney by Sadreddin Özçimi, the greatest Ney master (Neyzen) of his generation. He is in the tradition of Ney masters of the Mevlevi, the Whirling Dervishes. See here our other Ney posts.

Born in Konya in 1955, he studied under the great Ney masters Aka Gündüz Kutbay and Niyazi Sayın. He has quite a number of cassette and CD releases in Turkey.

Sadreddin Özçimi also studied Ebru, the art of marbled paper, from the leading ebru masters of today. He published a book on this art. This is typical of traditional Ney masters: they very often were and are experts in several other traditional arts like calligraphy, ebru or the craft of manufacturing prayer beeds.

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Here beautiful examples by other artists:

Wednesday, 5 July 2017

CONGRÈS DE MUSIQUE ARABE DU CAIRE 1932 - THE CAIRO CONGRESS OF ARAB MUSIC 1932

Here an importent release which might have gone unnoticed by many music lovers. It contains, amongst other jewels, two and half CDs by the great master of Iraqi Maqam Muhammad al-Qubbanji.

CONGRÈS DE MUSIQUE ARABE DU CAIRE 1932 - THE CAIRO CONGRESS OF ARAB MUSIC 1932 - Coffret 18 CD avec livret trilingue français, anglais et arabe de 256 pages - Box of 18 CDs with a book of 256 pages in French, English and Arabic - Sous la direction de Jean Lambert et de Pascal Cordereix, Texte original de Bernard Moussali, Restauration sonore par Luc Verrier, CDs 1 to 10: Egypt, CDs 11 to 13: Mashriq (Near East), CDs 14 to 18: Maghreb (North Africa), LA BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE

This box can be obtained from info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com for € 199,00 including postage.

"Le Congrès du Caire de 1932 est un mythe pour tous les chercheurs et les amateurs de la musique arabe en particulier et de la musique en général. Rares étaient ceux qui avaient, jusqu’à cette édition, accès à ces enregistrements. Après un important travail de restauration du son effectué dans ses studios, la BnF, en collaboration avec l’émirat d’Abou Dhabi, et sous la direction scientifique de Jean Lambert (Centre de recherche en ethnomusicologie), publie l’intégralité des enregistrements du Congrès du Caire, authentique document d’archives sonores de plus de dix-huit heures de musique, soit 18 disques compacts accompagnés d’un livret descriptif de 256 pages.

Le Congrès de musique arabe qui s’est tenu au Caire en mars-avril 1932 a fait date dans l’histoire de la musique au XXe siècle. Première manifestation scientifique d’envergure consacrée à des musiques non occidentales, il a permis la rencontre entre musicologues occidentaux et orientaux. Il est le premier congrès de musicologie à consacrer une part importante de ses travaux à l’enregistrement sonore d’interprétations de référence. C’est dans ce cadre que la filiale égyptienne de la firme His Master’s Voice de la Gramophone anglaise enregistre 334 faces de disques 78 tours, enregistrements non destinés à l'époque à une diffusion commerciale. Quatre-vingt-deux ans plus tard, l’art et le savoir de grands musiciens du monde arabe deviennent accessibles.

Il s’agit de la première manifestation scientifique d’envergure consacrée à des musique savantes non occidentales. Le Roi Farouck d’Egypte avait confié l’organisation au musicologue Franco-Britannique Le Baron Rodolphe François d’Erlanger. Ce congrès du Caire 1932 à fait date dans l’histoire de la musiques du XX siècle."

It is for the first time that the complete recordings of this historical event are published. In the 1990s there existed 5 CDs (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia & Iraq) published by Club du Disque Arabe and a double CD published by Institut du Monde Arabe. These are no longer available for more than 10 or 15 years. This is truly an outstanding publication for lovers of classical Arab music.

Thursday, 29 December 2016

Akagündüz Kutbay (1934-1979) - Mevlana - Instrumental Dervish Music - LP published in Turkey in the 1970s

wave
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About the artist see: Wikipedia and Facebook

In 2009 Kalan released a wonderful set of two CDs in a small book:

Aka Gündüz Kutbay (1934-1979) – Ask – 30 yilin özlemiyle…, Book (English text included) + 2 CD: CD 1: Segah Taksim (4:12), Ferahfeza Bas Taksim (Ayinden) (7:02), Acem-Asiran Müsterek Taksim (5:18), Saba Müsterek Taksim (3:01), Saba Pesrev (Osman Bey) (1:57), Saba Seyir (0:57), Hicaz - Saba - Ferahfeza Taksim (6:25), Müstear Taksim (1:30), Rast Seyir (0:53), Hüseyni'den Isfahan'a Geçis Taksimi (3:56), Buselik-Asiran Taksim (2:04), Bayati Taksim (9:34), Saba taksim (3:36), Saba - Ferahfeza - Rast Taksim (8:55), Hüzzam'dan Segah'a Geçis Taksimi (5:42), Müstear'dan Ussak'a Geçis Taksimi (4:40), Saba Bas Taksimi (Ayinden) (4:45), CD 2: Pençgah Bas Taksim (Ayinden) (6:24), Segah Taksim (7:22), Hicaz Pesrev (Veli Dede) (4:07), Hicaz Taksim (3:08), Muhayyer-Sünbüle Taksim (2:21), Nisabur - Ussak Taksim (1:08), Hicaz Müsterek Taksim (1:30), Nihavend Taksim (4:09), Saba'dan Rast'a Geçis Taksimi (2:50), Eviç'den Segah'a Geçis Taksimi (1:24), Evcara Taksim (3:51), Segah Seyir (1:36), Ussak'tan Hicaz'a Geçis Taksimi (8:53), Segah Taksim 2 (2:27), Kürdilihicazkar Taksim (1:15), Rast Taksim (4:20), Segah'tan Rast'a Geçis Taksimi (6:06), Ferahfeza Son Taksim (Ayinden) (1:51), Suzidil Taksim (3:46), Buselik Saz-Semaisi (Beste: Mutlu Torun) (5:33), KALAN, 481-482

Aka Gündüz Kutbay was the most outstanding Ney player of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Excellent recordings. Two CDs in a bilingual (Turkish & English) book of 119 pages.

And another one, together with the legendary singer Kani Karaca:

Kani Karaca (1930-2004) (Vocal) & Aka Gündüz Kutbay (1934-1979) – Mesk - …tükenmeyen istiyak, Book (English text included) + 2 CD, CD 1: Kar-i Natik (Hatibzade Osman Efendi) (29:55), Makam Tarifi (1:59), Eviç-Buselik Taksim (1:40), Eviç-Buselik I. Beste (Ismail Dede) (7:58), Eviç-Buselik II. Beste (Ismail Dede) (2:42), Eviç-Buselik Agir Semai (Ismail Dede) (3:35), Eviç-Buselik Nakis Yürük-Semai (Ismail Dede) (6:08), Hicaz Durak (Haci Arif Bey) (6:37), Nühüft Durak (Güfte: Niyazi Misri, Beste: Ali Sir ü Gani) (4:04), Ferahfeza Sarki (Fehmi Tokay) (3:13), CD 2: Sultani-Irak Taksim (1:53), Sultani-Irak I. Beste (Abdülhalim Aga) (7:35), Sultani-Irak II. Beste (Küçük Mehmed Aga) (6:25), Sultani-Irak Agir-Semai (Abdülhalim Aga) (5:53), Sultani-Irak Nakis Yürük-Semai (Küçük Mehmed Aga) (8:00), Sevk-u Tarab Mevlevi-Ayini (Ismail Dede Efendi) (22:48), Bayati Beste (Moris Kordova) / Ibranice (5:30), Hüzzam Beste / Ibranice (4:15), Segah Sarki (Kani Karaca) (3:45), Kürdilihicazkar Sarki (Kani Karaca) (3:40), KALAN, 483-484

“Mesk” means: master/apprentice relationship. “After Hafiz Ali Efendi and Sadettin Kaynak, Kani Karaca was greatly indebted to Sadettin Heper for a great portion of his musical education. When Heper began to grow old, he encouraged Karaca to continue practicing the music he had taught him with Aka Gündüz Kutbay. There, as he sang the songs he had learned from Heper, Kutbay would serve as Karaca’s “eyes” and together they worked with many pieces. Through the pieces they sang they would do a “makam analysis” and strive to perfect their performance. These “Harbiye Mesks”, with tea and food served by Süheyla Kutbay, would last until late into the night, and were sometimes attended by Abdi Coskun (Tanbur) as well.

Returning from a concert abroad, Aka Gündüz Kutbay brought an AKAI brand tape recorder of recording studio quality, with which he recorded a portion of the pieces he worked on with Karaca in his home.”

Kani Karaca, the legendary blind singer of the Whirling Dervishes, other forms of Sufi music, old classical Makam music and at the same time a famous Qur’an reciter, was the last great singer of old style Turkish Maqam music - both classical and Sufi – with an immense repertoire of old compositions and outstanding vocal melismatic qualities. Aka Gündüz Kutbay was the most outstanding Ney player of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Excellent recordings of a rare old repertoire. Two CDs in a bilingual (Turkish & English) book of 83 pages.

As always, these can be obtained from info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com

Sunday, 18 December 2016

Flutes Orientales Sacrées des Derviches Tourneurs - LP published in 1971 in France

Here a LP of music of the Whirling Dervishes which was wide spread in the 1970s and which sticks out by the participation of two outstanding musicians: the Ney player Hayri Tümer and the singer Münir Nurettin Selçuk (1900-1981).

On Münir Nurettin Selçuk see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnir_Nurettin_Sel%C3%A7uk

On Hayri Tümer see our post of a LP here.

For me Hayri Tümer is the greatest Ney player I ever heard. His music has something like an extra dimension. It is like blazing flames. Unfortunately he is today forgotten.

wave

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Saturday, 17 September 2011

Musique Traditionnelle Turque - Pièces Instrumentales - LP Ocora OCR 56 (1971)

Ulvi Erguner, Akagündüz Kutbay, Dogan Ergin (Ney)

Cinuçen Tanrıkorur (Ud)

Cüneyd Kosal (Kanun)

Ahmet Hatipoğlu (Tanbur)

Nezih Uzel (Bendir)

Side A:

1. Solo de "Mansur Ney" (Taksim - Makam Segah) (7:21)

2. Solo d' "Ud" (Taksim - Makam Segah) (8:25)

3. "Tanbur" et "Ney" (Makam Segah) (4:27)

4. Ensemble Instrumental (Peshrev - Makam Segah) (1:58)

Side B:

1. Ensemble Instrumental (Sazkar Semai - Makam Sazkar) (8:18)

2. Gerdaniye Peshrev (Makam Gerdaniye) (5:19)

3. Aksak Semai (Makam Gerdaniye) (5:06)

Download

Monday, 15 August 2011

Ahmed Şahin - Ezan Kamet Müezzinlik (Adhan Iqamat Muezzin) - Cassette from Turkey

Adhan (Ezan) is the call to prayer from the Minaret, Iqamat (Kamet) is the call to prayer in the Mosque immediately before the prayer. Here are performed both for the 5 daily prayers in different Maqams as well as some recitations connected to them. At the end some Sufi songs (Ilahis).

Ahmed Şahin is a well known Ney player and Sufi singer and the Imam of a Mosque in Istanbul.

We posted already another Adhan cassette by him:

http://oriental-traditional-music.blogspot.com/2011/06/ahmed-sahin-ney-vocal-hos-sada-ornek.html