Cultural Artifact #4 - The Saz and Türkü
For my final entry on my chosen cultural artifacts, I will examine the saz. I decided to assess this instrument due to its importance in my girlfriend’s household, whom I have seen playing it with her father. Moreover, due to “originating from Anatolia, [it] has become deeply intertwined with the cultural fabric of Turkey and the surrounding regions” (Oudandmore 2024). Particularly, due to her Alevi origins and my exposure to its importance to her and her family, I wanted to increase my understanding of the saz as both a cultural item in Turkish history as well as its effects in musical performance. The Alevi population, which “[lives] largely in central-eastern Anatolia as well as in Turkey’s major urban centers and rural coastal areas,” possess a strong presence in folk culture in Turkey (Zeidan 2023; Zeidan 2023). Consequently, due to the saz’s role as a folk instrument, with it “[serving] as the primary accompaniment for lyrical ballads, epic tales, and celebratory dances” (Oudandmore 2024). The style of music is more generally referred to as “Türkü,” and as with many of the cultural aspects of Turkey, there is a regional tradition in eastern Turkey for “Aşıks (Ash-uks) [to] write special songs and perform them in coffee houses and in other informal gatherings” (Ward 2023; Ward 2023).
Therefore, I moved to investigate a rendition of Türkü that I found particularly impactful. In this search, I discovered an upload on the SOAS Concert Series YouTube channel titled “Anatolian Groove | With Ozan Baysal and friends.” Given its length being over two hours and its elements as a live performance, I discerned that it would provide a diverse representation of the musical possibilities with the saz. Immediately upon starting my listening of the concert, I noticed the veracity of the description of the saz’s sound profile, where “soulful melodies and rhythmic patterns evoke a sense of nostalgia and belonging among listeners, transcending linguistic and cultural barriers” (Oudandmore 2024). I think this is due to the saz’s deep and whole sound, which facilitates the construction of a resonance between the saz player and the instrument. In the opening of the work, I noticed that the singing style of Türkü tends to match the fullness of the saz’s notes, particularly around 15 minutes into the video (“Anatolian Groove | With Ozan Baysal and friends” 2022), where it may serve as a symbolic style of singing from within the body to represent talking from the soul.
However, the second song demonstrates the versatility of the saz due to its combination with female vocals, whereas the first piece of the show was sung by a male singer (“Anatolian Groove | With Ozan Baysal and friends” 2022). Contrastingly, the saz assumes a more melodic and flowing role that, rather than retaining a profound sound, instead appears as an embodiment of emotion and the progression of the human experience. Importantly, and unfortunately for myself, I am unable to understand practically any of the verses in the available songs due to my level of Turkish. Yet, I believe the emotional response that I experienced as a purely sound-based listener is definitively significant. In the same manner that the saz possesses a wide musical range of notes, noting its 7-string configuration (“Saz Types and Their Characteristics” 2013), it also holds the ability to express the full range of human emotion, and I perceive that it is from this combination that makes the saz so crucial to Turkish culture and history.
Sources:
"Anatolian Groove | With Ozan Baysal and friends." Video. YouTube. Posted by SOAS Concert Series, February 25, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBn3rt7NIz4.
Ethnic Musical. "Saz Types and Their Characteristics." Ethnic Musical. Last modified 2013. https://www.ethnicmusical.com/saz-baglama/what-are-the-different-ty....
Oudandmore in Genel. "The History and Cultural Significance of the Saz." Oudandmore. Oud & More - Turkish and Arabic Music Instruments. Last modified April 23, 2024. https://oudandmoremusic.com/the-history-and-cultural-significance-o....
Ward, Lyn. "The Saz – a single instrument that represents Turkish folk music." Fethiye Times. Fethiye Times 2023. Last modified February 20, 2024. https://fethiyetimes.com/the-saz-a-single-instrument-that-represent....
Zeidan, Adam. "Who Are the Alevis in Turkey?" Encylopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last modified May 16, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/story/who-are-the-alevis-in-turkey.
For my final entry on my chosen cultural artifacts, I will examine the saz. I decided to assess this instrument due to its importance in my girlfriend’s household, whom I have seen playing it with her father. Moreover, due to “originating from Anatolia, [it] has become deeply intertwined with the cultural fabric of Turkey and the surrounding regions” (Oudandmore 2024). Particularly, due to her Alevi origins and my exposure to its importance to her and her family, I wanted to increase my understanding of the saz as both a cultural item in Turkish history as well as its effects in musical performance. The Alevi population, which “[lives] largely in central-eastern Anatolia as well as in Turkey’s major urban centers and rural coastal areas,” possess a strong presence in folk culture in Turkey (Zeidan 2023; Zeidan 2023). Consequently, due to the saz’s role as a folk instrument, with it “[serving] as the primary accompaniment for lyrical ballads, epic tales, and celebratory dances” (Oudandmore 2024). The style of music is more generally referred to as “Türkü,” and as with many of the cultural aspects of Turkey, there is a regional tradition in eastern Turkey for “Aşıks (Ash-uks) [to] write special songs and perform them in coffee houses and in other informal gatherings” (Ward 2023; Ward 2023).
Therefore, I moved to investigate a rendition of Türkü that I found particularly impactful. In this search, I discovered an upload on the SOAS Concert Series YouTube channel titled “Anatolian Groove | With Ozan Baysal and friends.” Given its length being over two hours and its elements as a live performance, I discerned that it would provide a diverse representation of the musical possibilities with the saz. Immediately upon starting my listening of the concert, I noticed the veracity of the description of the saz’s sound profile, where “soulful melodies and rhythmic patterns evoke a sense of nostalgia and belonging among listeners, transcending linguistic and cultural barriers” (Oudandmore 2024). I think this is due to the saz’s deep and whole sound, which facilitates the construction of a resonance between the saz player and the instrument. In the opening of the work, I noticed that the singing style of Türkü tends to match the fullness of the saz’s notes, particularly around 15 minutes into the video (“Anatolian Groove | With Ozan Baysal and friends” 2022), where it may serve as a symbolic style of singing from within the body to represent talking from the soul.
However, the second song demonstrates the versatility of the saz due to its combination with female vocals, whereas the first piece of the show was sung by a male singer (“Anatolian Groove | With Ozan Baysal and friends” 2022). Contrastingly, the saz assumes a more melodic and flowing role that, rather than retaining a profound sound, instead appears as an embodiment of emotion and the progression of the human experience. Importantly, and unfortunately for myself, I am unable to understand practically any of the verses in the available songs due to my level of Turkish. Yet, I believe the emotional response that I experienced as a purely sound-based listener is definitively significant. In the same manner that the saz possesses a wide musical range of notes, noting its 7-string configuration (“Saz Types and Their Characteristics” 2013), it also holds the ability to express the full range of human emotion, and I perceive that it is from this combination that makes the saz so crucial to Turkish culture and history.
Sources:
"Anatolian Groove | With Ozan Baysal and friends." Video. YouTube. Posted by SOAS Concert Series, February 25, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBn3rt7NIz4.
Ethnic Musical. "Saz Types and Their Characteristics." Ethnic Musical. Last modified 2013. https://www.ethnicmusical.com/saz-baglama/what-are-the-different-ty....
Oudandmore in Genel. "The History and Cultural Significance of the Saz." Oudandmore. Oud & More - Turkish and Arabic Music Instruments. Last modified April 23, 2024. https://oudandmoremusic.com/the-history-and-cultural-significance-o....
Ward, Lyn. "The Saz – a single instrument that represents Turkish folk music." Fethiye Times. Fethiye Times 2023. Last modified February 20, 2024. https://fethiyetimes.com/the-saz-a-single-instrument-that-represent....
Zeidan, Adam. "Who Are the Alevis in Turkey?" Encylopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last modified May 16, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/story/who-are-the-alevis-in-turkey.
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