Introduction

 The phenomena studied in the Popular Music Studies class are deeply intertwined with the human character and the human condition in the world. While the focus of this class lies on American and Western European popular music, the essence of the course can aid in understanding various popular music genres from different regions.

This website offers easily accessible and concise information about the complete history of popular Turkish folk music. Each poet is accompanied by interesting details and a few links to their performed music. The purpose of this work is to provide readers with quick access to Turkish folk music material, enabling them to form a mental image promptly.

In the initial stage of the research, all folk poets from the 16th to the 20th century were examined. A preliminary study was conducted on the philosophical origins of Anatolian poets. Due to the significant number of poets in the 20th century, a selective approach was adopted, based on factors such as quality, philosophy, and the writer's familiarity with the poets.

Turkish folk music has emerged as a product of a tradition that evolved through oral transmission. The minstrels, or folk poets, learned to sing and play the baglama (a traditional Turkish stringed instrument) from their parents or philosophical teachers. Once they embarked on their singing careers, they extensively traveled, absorbing and learning new songs through oral means.

The identity of Turkish folk music should not be seen as confined within certain boundaries, but rather as a combination of interconnected relations across a wider geographical area than the present boundaries of the Republic of Turkey. The origins of Turkish folk music can be traced back to a massive wave of immigration from Horasan in Central Asia during a time when Anatolia was under immediate threat of Mongol occupation.

Philosophically, Turkish folk music defined itself by emphasizing the importance and value of human beings, friendship, and brotherhood, influenced by the Alevi-Bektaşi beliefs of the Hocas (spiritual teachers), starting with Ahmet Yesevi, who never physically arrived in Anatolia. His disciples carried his ideas to Anatolia.

The tribes that migrated from Central Asia were predominantly of Turkish origin and spoke a straightforward language based primarily on Turkish words. The poets employed syllabic structures in their poems and often incorporated themes related to Alevi-Bektaşi philosophy. These elements played a pivotal role in the formation of Turkish folk music, originating from Horasan in Central Asia. Similar to the concept of the Black Atlantic in American popular music, there exists a direct link between Anatolian folk music and Central Asia.

Upon their arrival in Anatolia, people, places, and music became intricately intertwined. The influence of Persian culture can be observed in some poems and the works of poets. In later centuries, Arabic culture and Ottoman Istanbul culture gained prominence. The success of the Ottoman Empire in unifying Anatolia under a single authority increased the likelihood of developing a shared meaning within society. While the later works of poets exhibit the use of Aruz meter and influences from Persian and Arabic traditions, folk poets excelled in creating syllabic meter poems.

In subsequent centuries, there was a shift towards non-philosophical themes, daily life, politics, military affairs, and simple love poems, leading to a loss of philosophical content. This change was closely related to the evolving function of music. Poet cafés in Istanbul and other major cities became popular destinations for poets seeking to make a living through entertainment. Consequently, they had to cater to a broader audience, sharing common cultural codes. Each poet began to create their own world rather than being a small part of the larger flow of Alevi-Bektaşi philosophy.

Over time, various subgroups emerged within folk music, such as Serhat türküleri (bravery songs), military songs by Janissary poets, and Alevi ritual dance music.

Through this website, visitors can observe the development of group singing practices influenced by Turkish Radio and Television, as well as the utilization of new instruments and recording techniques.