CLASSIC TURKISH MUSIC

In a suitable part of the conversation, ATATÜRK turned to us:

- Let's listen to a song or two from friends, they say.

We immediately start playing and reading his favorite works. He listens with pleasure and enthusiasm.

At one time they ordered me to sing a song. However, I entered the delegation as a neyzen. I thought it was weird that he asked me to sing when there were such beautiful voices in the delegation. Didn't they pay attention to ATA, I'm pissed that I played saz. Friends are pointing at me like "read it...". At that moment, I can't think of any songs, I'm confused as to what to do. One of my friends whispers in my ear: "You can kill the opponent from the inn..."

I'm starting the desperate song. At the beginning of the first line:

- Stop!... they say and ask:

- What is Cânâ?

Half-help, half-knowledge:

- It's an address, sir, I say.

- Then why don't you indicate this address with your reading?

At that time, we played with all the strength of our instruments and our readers sang with all the might of their daggers. We didn't know about nuances, expressions, and things like that.

I read as their desire. At the end of the line, he stops me again, another caveat: "read the lyrics!"

You can kill the opponent
I will give you a vefayî giryan
Familiarization with the bigâne
You make the world prison for me

We used to pronounce the word "you will" as "you would" "don't", and the word "push" according to the pronunciation at that time.

ATATURK:

- How do you speak these words? they ask. I say:

- Then why do you read (you're - don't push) between songs?

No answer... I continue the song in this way.

ATATÜRK used to sing this song himself. They only enjoyed reciting the words at the end of the refrain (you are yelling) harshly and vividly.

Anyway, half help, half effort, I finished the song. But I have no more strength. After the song, they got information about myself, my family and my education, and they joked about my name, mentioning that one of the princes (Burhanettin) had the same name. In this way, I passed the first test.

This test situation has more or less happened to every artist who has the pleasure of being in the presence of our ATA.

The late Burhanettin Ökte, who was a neyzen in the Presidential chapter team, told me personally about ATATÜRK's memories. He wrote some of this in the music journal...

When the great ATATÜRK was in Ankara, he liked to listen to music two or three times a week and every evening in Istanbul. In Istanbul, the chapter team was assigned with its full presence, and in Ankara with a limited staff according to the invited group.

There are very few guests at our ATA's table tonight. We are before you as a delegation of three or four people. As a great compliment, they invited us to their table.

My place coincided with the late Ali Hikmet Pasha, the admirer and protector of our music.

The life of our great ATA in his mansions in Çankaya was in the position of a well-behaved but accountable family head. He had everything prepared and arranged carefully, but without any waste. In fact, one evening, we witnessed that bread was borrowed from Ali Cenani's house because of one or two guests who were invited later. However, the preparation of the table, the garnishing of the food and the way of serving were arranged in a way that befits a head of state.

I was having difficulty adjusting to such table manners, which I was not accustomed to personally.

At one point, ATA asked the guests at the table about their wishes. They asked for a suitable song, we played it. Meanwhile, Ali Hikmet Pasha asked me for a taxi.

I started Taksim, when I say ground, licorice, a little tired but strong voice begins. Everyone is afraid to breathe. This voice is ATATÜRK's voice: Armies! Our first target is the Mediterranean. Next!... the roaring voice. Now the tune is overflowing:

How would Yârâb be less than his honor?
Paymane-i vücûde zehrâb. was stuffed

I would be his freeman from âsib-ü derd-ü gamdan
What if I hadn't come to hell, what if I had a mind

The composition is beautiful, the expression is beautiful, but there is a feature that I did not know until that day. ATA connected the lyrics, tune and emotion, and how beautifully he enlivened the lyrics with his etvari (movements and gestures).

The gazel was over, it was overflowing. One of the statesmen could not stand it and kissed our father's hands. At one point, one of the guests asked us to play one of the popular anthems that were sung in those days. We started. ATATÜRK, when it comes to the part that talks about himself, pointed us to stop immediately and said:

They said, "Victory is the work of the nation, and like any other citizen, I did nothing but pay my debt."

It was already past midnight. One by one, the guests kissed the blessed hands of the great ATA and left their presence...

Source: www.kultur.gov.tr