Cem Karaca
Cem Karaca
The following is one of the most famous songs of Cem Karaca, a Turkish singer. The name of song is “Allah Yar” which simply means “Allah (God) is my love”. Our generation remembers him very well however, not recognised by young people since he had to live abroad after the military cue in 1980 in Turkey. Rest in peace, Cem Karaca.
Note: This song is unique in Cem Karaca’s album as being a tasawwufi (religious, or mystical) one.
Who is Cem Karaca?
He was the only child of Ä°rma Felekyan (Toto Karaca) of Armenian origin[1], a popular opera, thatre and movie actress, and Mehmet Ä°brahim Karaca of Azeri origin.[2] His first group was called Dynamites and was a classic rock cover band. Later he joined Jaguars, an Elvis Presley cover band. In 1967, he started to write his own music, forming the band ApaÅŸlar (Apachees), his first Turkish-language group. In 1969, Karaca and bass-player Serhan Karabay left ApaÅŸlar and started an original Anatolian group called KardaÅŸlar (Brothers).
In 1972, Karaca joined the group MoÄŸollar (Mongols) and wrote one of his best-known songs, “Namus Belası”. However, Cahit Berkay, the leader of MoÄŸollar, wanted an international name for his band, and he left for France to take the group to another level. Karaca, who wanted to continue his Anatolian beat sound, left MoÄŸollar and started his own band DerviÅŸan (Dervishes) in 1974. Karaca and DerviÅŸan sang poetic and progressive songs.
In the 1970s, Turkey’s image was damaged by political violence between supporters of the left and the right, separatist movements and the rise of Islamism. As the country fell into chaos, the government suspected Cem Karaca of involvement. At times he was accused of treason for being a separatist thinker and a Marxist-Leninist. The Turkish government tried to portray Karaca as a man, who was unknowingly writing songs to start a revolution. One politician was quoted as saying, “Karaca is simply calling citizens to a bloody war against the state.” DerviÅŸan was ultimately dissolved at the end of 1977. He later founded in 1978 Edirdahan, an acronym for “from Edirne to Ardahan”; the westernmost and the easternmost provinces of Turkey. He recorded one LP with Edirdahan.
In early 1979, he left for West Germany for business reasons. Turkey continued to spin out of control with military curfews and eventually a military coup on September 12, 1980. General Kenan Evren took over the government and temporarily closed all the nation’s political parties. After the coup, many intellectual people, including writers, artists and journalists, were arrested. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Karaca by the government of Turkey.
The state invited Cem Karaca back to the country several times, but Karaca, not knowing what would happen upon his return, decided not to come back.
While he was in Germany, his father died, but he could not return to attend the funeral. After some time, the Turkish government decided to strip Cem Karaca of his Turkish citizenship, keeping the arrest warrant active.
Several years later, in 1987, the prime minister and leader of the Turkish Motherland Party, Turgut Özal, issued an amnesty for Karaca. Shortly afterwards, he returned to Turkey. His return also brought a new album by him, Merhaba Gençler ve Her zaman Genç Kalanlar (”Hello Young Ones and Everyone Who’d Always Felt Young”), one of his most powerful works. His return home was greeted happily by his fans, but during his absence, Cem Karaca had lost the youthful audience and acquired few new listeners. He died on February 8, 2004 and was interred at Karacaahmet Cemetery in Ãœsküdar district of Istanbul.
Old Istanbul Song in Malaysia
Old Istanbul Song
This post gives a list of dıfferent arrangements for the very famous Turkish song from Istanbul area. I was very surprised to hear the same composition of the song when I listened to that in Malay language in my first days to Malaysia. I forgot to ask taxi driver the name of the song in Malay language. Anyway this old Istanbul Song goes back to Ottoman times. The song is famous in Turkey with different names. One name is ‘Üsküdara Giderken’ which means ‘While going to Uskudar’. Another name is ‘Katibim’ which means ‘My clerk’. Anyone who knows the Old Istanbul Song in Malay language please could you give comments.
Different Arrangements for Song
‘Uskudara Giderken’ performed by American Singer Eartha Kitt.
“Katibim” by Safiye Ayla
Esther Kaiser Trio (Üsküdara Giderken Jazz)
“Fantasy on an old Istanbul Song” Behzat Cem Gunenc
The theme in this piece is a well know Istanbul song “Katibim”.The Katibim is about 2 lovers who dream of being together. I call this piece also “Shy Lovers of Istanbul” because in the song they only look at each other’s eyes while walking and they dream about being together. They can’t take their hands or kiss at the street because of the old tradition. I will post the score to sibeliusmusic. From there you can download the orginal scores. Enjoy pls
Song while sightseeing Istanbul
Üsküdara Giderken from BURCU GÜNEŞ
Notes with A traditional Turkish Instrument Called Saz
Literal Translation of the Song
On the way to Uskudar, rain came down, it really did.
The clerk I love wears a frock coat with its long skirt muddied.
I guess he is just up from sleep: his eyes are still languid.
That clerk is mine - I am his - that’s no one else’s business.
It looks so lovely on my clerk; that frock coat with trousers (that starched shirt of his).
Going to Uskudar, I found a kerchief dropped by him.
And I filled my kerchief with Turkish delight to the brim…
Looking for that clerk of mine, I found myself right by him.
That clerk of mine - I am his - that’s no one else’s business.
It looks so lovely on my clerk: that starched shirt of his.
About Üsküdar
Üsküdar is a large and densely populated suburb of Istanbul, on the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus right opposite the heart of the great city, next to Kadıköy. It is home to about half a million people.
History of Üsküdar (from Wikipedia)
Üsküdar (ancient Chrysopolis, mediaeval Scutari) was a city in Bithynia founded in the 7th century BC, in a valley leading down to the Bosphorus shore, by the inhabitants of the Greek colony of Khalkedon and was first known as Chrysopolis (city of Gold) (perhaps because it was a wealthy little port, or because of the way it shone when viewed from Byzantium at sunset). The city was used as a harbour and shipyard and was an important staging post in the wars between the Greeks and Persians. In 410 BC Chrysopolis was walled by the Athenian general Alcibiades. As its larger and more important neighbor across the Bosphorus grew, the town became a toll-booth for the Bosphorus and later became the first point of defence of Byzantium against the Ottoman armies. Byzantine armies were stationed here, but to no avail; by the time Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans (in 1453) Üsküdar had already been in Turkish hands for 100 years.
In the Ottoman period Üsküdar was one of the three communities outside the city walls (along with Eyüp and Galata). The area was a major burial ground, and today many large cemeteries remain including Karacaahmet Mezarlığı, Bülbülderesi Mezarlığı, and a number of Jewish and Christian cemeteries. Karacaahmet Mezarlığı is one of Istanbul’s largest cemeteries. Bülbülderesi Mezarlığı is said to be the favoured burial place of the Sabetay community, including the educator Şemsi Efendi; this cemetery is next to Fevziye Hatun mosque, also said to be a centre of Sabetay culture.
Rast Taksim
Rast Taksim
Another Turkish Tasawwuf Music sample called Rast Taksim played by famous instrument Ney.