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@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ |
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<h1>Wells of Knowledge: Streams of poetry, music and resistance in Turkey</h1> |
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<h1>Wells of Knowledge: <p>Streams of poetry, music and resistance in Turkey</h1> |
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<h2>Merve Kılıçer</h2> |
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<h2>Merve Kılıçer</h2> |
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<p><i>“If history writing does not emancipate, it must be serving tyranny.” |
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<p><i>“If history writing does not emancipate, it must be serving tyranny.” |
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Cemal Kafadar, ‘Kendine ait bir Roma’, pg.1</i><br></p> |
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Cemal Kafadar, ‘Kendine ait bir Roma’, pg.1</i><br></p> |
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@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ After 7 years, I’m still trying to figure out how and why we managed to come t |
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tecting a green area that belonged to our home, protecting friends and the increasing level of op- |
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tecting a green area that belonged to our home, protecting friends and the increasing level of op- |
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pression were the instinctive push points but my real question is: how did the spirit of Gezi Park |
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pression were the instinctive push points but my real question is: how did the spirit of Gezi Park |
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come to life? |
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come to life? |
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<p id="textdadaloglu"> |
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The park brought together people from different economic backgrounds, ethnicities and beliefs, |
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The park brought together people from different economic backgrounds, ethnicities and beliefs, |
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manifesting the idea that when we stand together we are heard. And our voice carried all the tunes, |
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manifesting the idea that when we stand together we are heard. And our voice carried all the tunes, |
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rhythms and stories of Turkey. To analyze this historic moment, I’ve been listening closely to the |
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rhythms and stories of Turkey. To analyze this historic moment, I’ve been listening closely to the |
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@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ land. I asked myself: Could the accumulation of these voices and words be the fo |
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of Gezi Spirit? What kind of knowledge do we inherit from the land we feel rooted in? Which are |
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of Gezi Spirit? What kind of knowledge do we inherit from the land we feel rooted in? Which are |
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the stories we were raised with and how did they shape our perception of the world and ‘other’ |
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the stories we were raised with and how did they shape our perception of the world and ‘other’ |
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people we share it with? |
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people we share it with? |
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</p> |
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Learning and unlearning the tenets of our upbringing is a process of growth. At the park, we wit- |
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Learning and unlearning the tenets of our upbringing is a process of growth. At the park, we wit- |
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nessed the clash of all the false and accurate knowledge we were introduced to throughout our |
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nessed the clash of all the false and accurate knowledge we were introduced to throughout our |
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lives. This clash brought us a little closer to the understanding of what is political and how we can |
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lives. This clash brought us a little closer to the understanding of what is political and how we can |
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@ -69,16 +69,20 @@ and those of their predecessor. They were storytellers who narrated with poetry, |
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plays. Such practices are common in many cultures around the world and although the societies |
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plays. Such practices are common in many cultures around the world and although the societies |
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and beliefs went through significant changes over time, this method of carrying knowledge re- |
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and beliefs went through significant changes over time, this method of carrying knowledge re- |
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mained part of everyday life. |
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mained part of everyday life. |
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Kalktı Göç Eyledi Avşar Elleri, |
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Ağır Ağır Giden Eller Bizimdir. |
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<p id="textdadaloglu"> |
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Arap Atlar Yakın Eder ırağı, |
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Kalktı Göç Eyledi Avşar Elleri,<br> |
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Yüce Dağdan Aşan Yollar Bizimdir. |
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Ağır Ağır Giden Eller Bizimdir.<br> |
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/ |
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Arap Atlar Yakın Eder ırağı,<br> |
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Rised and migrated the Avşar tribes, |
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Yüce Dağdan Aşan Yollar Bizimdir.<br> |
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The folk slowly moving is ours. |
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/<br> |
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Arabic horses render the distances close, |
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Rised and migrated the Avşar tribes,<br> |
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The paths overrunning the mighty mountains are ours. |
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The folk slowly moving is ours.<br> |
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Dadaloğlu’s (18th cc) epical folk poem was chanted by Ruhi Su in 1960’s |
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Arabic horses render the distances close,<br> |
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The paths overrunning the mighty mountains are ours.<br> |
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<i>Dadaloğlu’s (18th cc) epical folk poem was chanted by Ruhi Su in 1960’s</i></p> |
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Islam started spreading through similar traditions of folkloric chanting and poetry migrating from |
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Islam started spreading through similar traditions of folkloric chanting and poetry migrating from |
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regions today known as Iran (Horasan) and Afghanistan. In time, many nomadic tribes of Central |
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regions today known as Iran (Horasan) and Afghanistan. In time, many nomadic tribes of Central |
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Asia started abandoning their polytheistic beliefs, like the shamanic belief Tengrism 2 , and started |
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Asia started abandoning their polytheistic beliefs, like the shamanic belief Tengrism 2 , and started |
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@ -116,7 +120,6 @@ Hüseyin Gazi Sultan binsin atına |
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Dayanılmaz çarh-ı felek zatına |
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Dayanılmaz çarh-ı felek zatına |
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Bizden selâm söylen ev külfetineÇıkıp ele karşı ağlamasınlar |
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Bizden selâm söylen ev külfetineÇıkıp ele karşı ağlamasınlar |
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/ |
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/ |
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<p id="textmuharrem"> |
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They call me Pir Sultan in Banaz |
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They call me Pir Sultan in Banaz |
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Do not suppose I’m the sinister one |
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Do not suppose I’m the sinister one |
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Pasha should advice his servants |
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Pasha should advice his servants |
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@ -166,12 +169,14 @@ roots to be played on the radio. Even though in the 1930’s he was titled as th |
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state, his Alevi roots, were still not recognized. In the 1940’s he was teaching to play cura at several |
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state, his Alevi roots, were still not recognized. In the 1940’s he was teaching to play cura at several |
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Village Institutes 7 (1942-1947) where he encountered Ruhi Su and many other musicians and intel- |
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Village Institutes 7 (1942-1947) where he encountered Ruhi Su and many other musicians and intel- |
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lectuals from Istanbul. |
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lectuals from Istanbul. |
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<p id="textasikA"> |
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The cultural production of those years can serve as a recording of the political climate around the |
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The cultural production of those years can serve as a recording of the political climate around the |
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country. Starting from the 1950’s the western educated musicians, like Ruhi Su, Tülay German, |
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country. Starting from the 1950’s the western educated musicians, like Ruhi Su, Tülay German, |
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Sümeyra Çakır or Fikret Kızılok, in order to stay connected to their roots, started combining folk- |
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Sümeyra Çakır or Fikret Kızılok, in order to stay connected to their roots, started combining folk- |
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loric tunes and themes with popular western instruments and methods. While Tülay German |
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loric tunes and themes with popular western instruments and methods. While Tülay German |
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adopted folklore songs into jazz tunes and collaborated with Ashiks that migrated to the city, Fikret |
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adopted folklore songs into jazz tunes and collaborated with Ashiks that migrated to the city, Fikret |
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Kızılok went to study with Ashik Veysel in Anatolia and made records with the songs of his mentor. |
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Kızılok went to study with Ashik Veysel in Anatolia and made records with the songs of his mentor.</p> |
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This new approach was the result of the emigration of Anatolian folk (especially the minorities) to- |
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This new approach was the result of the emigration of Anatolian folk (especially the minorities) to- |
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wards big cities to work in factories or study at the universities and technical schools. The universi- |
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wards big cities to work in factories or study at the universities and technical schools. The universi- |
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ties became the meeting point for western educated city youth and the Anatolian youth who were |
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ties became the meeting point for western educated city youth and the Anatolian youth who were |
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@ -181,6 +186,7 @@ ence and used their traditional cultural production to propagate ideas of equali |
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were showing resistance to the economic sanctions of the U.S. who had been providing financial |
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were showing resistance to the economic sanctions of the U.S. who had been providing financial |
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support to Turkey and to do so, they were using the folkloric language which created a bridge be- |
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support to Turkey and to do so, they were using the folkloric language which created a bridge be- |
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tween intellectuals, factory workers (in Turkey and in Europe) and farmers of the rural areas. |
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tween intellectuals, factory workers (in Turkey and in Europe) and farmers of the rural areas. |
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Şenlik dağıldı bir acı yel kaldı bahçede yalnız |
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Şenlik dağıldı bir acı yel kaldı bahçede yalnız |
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O mahur beste çalar Müjgan’la ben ağlaşırız |
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O mahur beste çalar Müjgan’la ben ağlaşırız |
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Gitti dostlar şölen bitti ne eski heyecan ne hız |
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Gitti dostlar şölen bitti ne eski heyecan ne hız |
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