Mike's Oud Forums

Turkish Singer - information?

jdowning - 2-27-2014 at 01:14 PM

Can anyone provide more information about Turkish singer Zeynep Karababa?

I rather enjoyed listening to this song - although, of course, I have no clue what the song is about or the particular musical style - modern or classical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxoOnx-TtKw

Thanks

John Erlich - 2-27-2014 at 02:23 PM

Here is the Babylon.com translation of the entry on her from Turkish Vikipedia:

"Zeynep Karababa, (d. Sivas in 1965 - ), in which, Ozan tradition of music artist. Zeynep Karababa troubadour, and the people of Mehmet Ali Karababa, kızıdır. Sivas massacre artist Karababa Gönül Nuhoglu, He is killed. Zeynep Karababa has released an album, up to 3. Art lives in Ankara to continue."

:D

pirsultan - 2-27-2014 at 02:49 PM

She is the daughter of Mehmet Karababa an Alevi poet-singer from the Çamşıhı in the Sivas region of Eastern Turkey which is renowned for such singers, most famous in more or less recent times being Feyzullah Çınar. I have her first album Gül Yüzlüm and it is very good. The style is traditional Anatolian, restrained and very good based around bağlama. On Anatolian Alevi records you will not hear the oud which is associated with Ottomans by whom they were oppressed. I notice she has a second recording called Çamşıhı Türküleri (Folk songs of Çamşıhı;) which I for will will certainly order being interested in both Alevi song and this region. For a bit of a flavour of the content of Alevi song you can take look at my blog: http://koerbin.wordpress.com/

jdowning - 2-28-2014 at 05:35 AM

Thank you guys - that is interesting and informative. I have, as a consequence, learned a little more about the politics, the religion and tragic circumstances of a cultural group that, as a westerner, I had no previous knowledge about.

Too much to take in at one sitting but I will certainly spend more time in learning more - particularly about the music and poetry of the Anatolian Alevi - expressed on record by these artists.

I was also unaware of the religious significance of the baglama - another instrument that I have an interest in. I was under the impression that the Ottoman Turks in earlier times (16th/17th C) did not hold the oud in high regard either - at least as far as music in the Ottoman court was concerned?

We live and learn!