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Muammer Ketencoğlu - Izmir Hatırası (Smyrna Recollections)

Posted By: Manavgat
Muammer Ketencoğlu - Izmir Hatırası (Smyrna Recollections)

Muammer Ketencoğlu - Izmir Hatırası (Smyrna Recollections)
2008 | MP3 CBR 320 kbps | 17 Tracks | ~101Mb
Genre: World, Ethnic, Instrumental | Label: Kalan Music

SMYRNA Recollections - Introduction - This is a short journey into the memory of Izmir before 1922. Throughout this journey you will be hearing only three languages out of many that had echoed on the streets during that period: Turkish, Romaic (Greek) and Jewish Spanish (Ladino). A multicultural folk song parade awaits you to help you visualise Izmir as an almost complete picture.

SMYRNA RECOLLECTIONS

Introduction


This is a short journey into the memory of Izmir before 1922. Throughout this journey you will be hearing only three languages out of many that had echoed on the streets during that period: Turkish, Romaic (Greek) and Jewish Spanish (Ladino). A multicultural folk song parade awaits you to help you visualise Izmir as an almost complete picture.
I have used various sources to select Turkish folk songs from an extensive area of Izmir that consists of many towns and villages: Folk songs that I have learnt from my mother, TRT Turkish Folk Music repertory, Ali Fuat Aydın's compilation of works and some historic 78 rpm recordings. It was quite difficult to choose the four Izmir Rum songs that are in the album, out of the hundreds I have listened to. Jak Esim assisted me in selecting Jewish songs of Izmir. There could not be a better source than his collected works that were made during the 1990's. So we had the chance to include two Jewish folk songs which have not been released before. Right here I should mention the "Izmir Trilogy" named by me, which serves as a summary of this album. I composed an original collage of three very similar pieces sung in Turkish, Greek and Judeo- Spanish by taking one section from each. Track 7, which I learned from my mother, was sung by my dear wife Deniz. This makes the album even more precious to me.
Despite my insistent research, I could not find any examples involving the Armenians or Levantines living in Izmir. I wanted to commemorate the Izmirian-born Armenian singer, composer, and great lutanist Markos Melkon Alemsherian. So I included in the album a widely known Romaic song "Dervisaki" sung by him. He was born in 1895 in Izmir where he spent his childhood in its unique multicultural atmosphere. Despite his Armenian origin, he recorded hundreds of 78rpms of Turkish and Greek popular songs in the United States after 1920. We have worked together with Nezih Öztüre and Cengiz Onural in a difficult but also exciting studiorecording process which took a year together; the enthusiastic and sincere contribution of approximately forty professional and amateur musicians, struggles with oneself, struggles with others, tiny resentments, many cab trips from Feriköy to Üsküdar.. Exchanges of opinion on prospective repertoires with close friends before the recording process; a tape cassette recorded by Mithat Arısoy in which he played and sang many folk songs for me, note- deciphering sessions with Ali Fuat Aydın at a Narlıdere house surrounded by orange trees…These are the reflections of the intensive efforts for this album that I still consider to be convicted incomplete..
Izmir has a great place in my heart with its sound and smell. Childhood journeys from Tire by five o'clock train to Izmir that had been impatiently awaited many days before.. Street sellers, my first instrument, a toy violin that was bought from Kemeraltı, carried me to the peak of happiness… I had the most beautiful days of my childhood at the Bornova School for the Blind. I had been attached to life with the help of my teacher Ms. Münevver and to music through Mr. Bayram. I first appeared on the stage at the age of 11, at the Efes Hotel. The Karşıyaka boat was a must! I used to get a boiled corn and throw the cob into the sea. I enjoyed the sound of its stroke over the sea. That's why I wanted to offer a unique gift to the old city that nourished me as I was growing up.
Many things have been written about the multicultural city of Old Izmir. Unfortunately, the books and albums which presented the rich and complex music tradition that the thousands of year's old city offered with completeness have not been published. I wanted to give a start to the completion of such works with this recollection of Izmir. I wanted the text of the album and studiously prepared fourteen folk songs to be the initial step. I took great care in determining the participating musicians in accordance with the multicultural and original structure of this album.
From now on, it's music's turn to speak for itself. And your turn to open your hearts to the Turks, Rums and Jews of Izmir who lived together for centuries along with their common and diverse characteristics. It's your turn to embrace Gavur Izmir*. Enjoy it.
Muammer Ketencoğlu
7 September 2007, İstanbul

*Gavur Izmir: Gavur is an adjective used to define a non- muslim person. Due to its crowded non- muslim population, Izmir used to be called as Gavur Izmir.

Muammer Ketencoğlu

The Accordion master Ketencoglu is the most famous name about Rebetiko, Balkan music and folk music of Western Anatolia in Turkey. He became a popular musician in the international music arena with his traditional music carreer world wide.
He was born in Izmir in 1964. He received a good music training in schools for the blind. He learned to play the accordion, the piano and the drums.
His first album "Sevdali Kiyilar" was released in 1993. Two Rebetiko compilations "Rebetika" and "Rebetika II" prepared by him appeared in 1994 and 1996. In 1995 he prepared an anthology, "Halklardan Ezgiler", comprising four albums, each containing folk songs that best represent the traditional music of Armenia, Azarbaijan, Georgia and Central Asian Turkic Republics respectively. Another anthology compiled by Ketencoglu and produced in 1995 was entitled "Pioneers of the Klezmer Music". The album brought together examples of Klezmer music based mainly on traditional eastern European Jewish music.
As from 1996, he participated in various activities both in Turkey and abroad with his two ensembles; Muammer Ketencoglu & His Zeybek Ensemble which performs Greek and Tuskish folk songs and Izmir style rebetikos and The Balkan Journey which performs folk songs and dance tunes from all over the Balkans. In 2005, he gave a start to his third project Muammer Ketencoglu & His Women Voices Ensemble to perform female folk songs from all over Turkey. His three projects perform simultaneously. Ketencoglu made his second personal album "Karanfilin Moruna" which is composed of West Anatolian zeybek songs and melodies in April 2001. He released "Ayde Mori"
in 2001 and "The Balkan Journey" in 2007 which he made with The Balkan Journey ensemble. He wrote many articles on traditional music from all over the world which were published in many different newspapers and magazines.
From November 1995 on he is the producer and announcer of the program "This Side of Danube" mainly focusing on Balkan music, which is broadcasted every week by the Acik Radyo 94.9 in Istanbul.

Turkish Folk Music of Izmir

The province of Izmir is influenced by zeybek culture due to its location. With a system of values based on heroism and social justice, the Zeybeks were bands of armed irregular troops formed to struggle against social inequalities in the later periods of the Ottoman Empire throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. They developed powerful music, dance and costume traditions which spread throughout the Aegean and neighboring regions in a short time. That's why the word zeybek not only stands for armed troops but also refers to a specific folk song and dance form.
The Zeybeks supported the Turkish Army in winning the War for Independence in 1922. After the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, the zeybek troops were disbanded, but zeybek songs and dances, the products of a culture which has survived for hundreds of years, prevail and are still performed at almost every opportunity. Many of the dances are of an individual and solo nature; and largely improvised. (Although zeybek is originally a "solo" dance, we see that some zeybeks are danced collectively.)There are exceptions but the majority are slow and asymmetrical in rhythmic structure.
As in other traditonal Turkish folk music tunes, modal (or makam) - based aspects must be taken into account in the zeybek tunes. Within zeybek melodies found in the Izmir area, a pitch range of more than one octave is used. Rast (G), Dügah (A) and Segah (B) pitches are frequently used as the tonic in accordance with the mode. The melodies are usually constructed using adjacent notes. Rhythmic patterns of 3+2+2+2, 2+2+2+3 and 2+2+3+ , constituting an overall 9 beat pattern, are the norm. Slow zeybek pieces (ağır zeybek) are usually instrumental and their common pattern is 3+2+2+2. In cases of dance accompaniment, the musicians play the piece according to the rhythm of the dancer. That's why the rhythm is changeable.
In contrast to the slower male zeybek dance tunes, a quicker, softer style is used in women's zeybek dance tunes in 3+2+2+2 format. When lyrics are used for these tunes they tend to be compliments to the beloved, regret for his absence or derisive in tone. The melancholic nature of these lyrics would appear to be in conflict with the jauntiness of the melodies and rhythms used. However, folk music fulfils a recreational function, Besides, sad lyrics coupled with jolly rhythms are just part of the complexity of the tradition, and are tied in with the general expectations of the local people.
In Izmir, zeybek dances performed in public are traditionally accompanied by the zurna (a loud, penetrating relative of the oboe) and davul, a double-sided drum . But since the start of the 20th century, the clarinet and even the trumpet have replaced the zurna especially in the Bergama ( Pergamon) and Ödemiş regions. (It is said that in Pergamon musicians used to play only frame drums and zurna until 1906. After the head offical Mr. Kemal had prohibited the davul and the zurna, local musicians started to play the clarinette, trumpet, drums with bells in stead. Besides, having seen the easiness in playing the clarinette which used be played in military bands, local musicians prefered
to use the clarinette in stead of the zurna.) Elsewhere the bağlama, kaval, kabak kemane and ince çalgı ensembles which consist of oud, the Western violin and hand drum are in evidence. The major local zurna players are found especially in the Izmir-Tepecik (It is said that the ancestors of these musicians immigrated from Thessaloniki and were located in Izmir after following the route of Fethiye, Denizli- Acipayam.), Menemen-Ulukent region and in Torbalı-Çaybaşı.
In addition to zeybek dance tunes in the region, there are other music and dance forms such as the güvende, bengi, semah, mengi and laments. Güvende and bengi bear some resemblance to zeybek dances in terms of style, rhythm, melodic character and the costumes worn, but are always faster than the slow zeybeks. Also, male zeybek dances are traditionally performed solo whereas the bengi and güvende are performed in groups. In the past bengi and güvende dances were exclusively accompanied by zurna and drum but nowadays they are also played on clarinet and drum according to the performance situation.
It is not possible to confine traditional music within municipal borders. However, it could be said that adjacent towns and areas within the province of Izmir share certain cultural features. In Izmir all regional variants can be found. But elsewhere Bergama and Menemen in the north, Karaburun in the west, and the Menderes, Tire and Ödemiş districts in the south manifest specific regional distinctions.
A musical construct unique to the Izmir region is heard in the music of the Tahtacı-s (a subgroup of the Alevi). The Tahtacıs contribute a different flavor to the culture of Izmir with their music, costumes and devotional dance called the semah. They can be found in areas such as Bergama, Kemalpaşa, Doğançay, Altındağ, Bademler, Uzundere, Narlıdere, Naldöken and Bayındır-Yakapınar. The semah is usually in three musical parts. The tonic begins on Dügah (A) but shifts up a third to Çargah (C) in the second section and then again up another tone to a fourth above which is the note Neva (D) in the third section. Sometimes the semah dance might be restricted to two parts in which the second section can be either the third or fourth above the original tonic (I-III or I-IV). A change of meter in these semahs is very rarely observed. Like the zeybek dances, the semah is in an asymmetrical rhythm, but as an extra twist the end of the song will drop out of a fixed rhythm into a free meter.
Izmir is a city rich in traditional folk music, and many academic studies, research papers, and song collections have been undertaken and published. The first substantial work on the classification of traditional folk music emerged in the 1920s and was probably made by İsmail Hakkı Bey.
The first efforts to classify the folk music of Izmir began when the brothers Seyfettin and Sezai Asaf were sent out to West Anatolia by the Darü'l-Elhan (The Istanbul State Conservatory) in 1925. The scores of melodies they discovered were published in Yurdumuzun Nağmeleri in 1926.
A second expedition involving Izmir and Odemis made in 1927, also funded by Darü'l-Elhan, was undertaken by Yusuf Ziya Demircioğlu, Ekrem Besim, Muhiddin Sadak and Ferruh Arsunar. (As Izmir used to be a cosmopolite city, the group did not collect tunes from the city center. But they collected ten Izmir tunes from an old zeybek who was in Manisa prison at that time.) As the result of a total of four expeditions made in Anatolia arranged by Darü'l-Elhan between the years 1926-1929, about 850 melodies were compiled and published in the form of 15 manuscript books entitled Anadolu Halk şarkıları ve Halk Türküleri.
A later research expedition was launched by the Ankara State Conservatory in 1938
and consisted of two groups under the leadership of Ferit Alnar with researchers Cevat Memduh Altar, Halil Bedii Yönetken, Tahsin Banguoğlu and technician Rıza Yetişen. It yielded a total of 83 tunes comprising 29 vocal, 19 instrumental and 35 accompanied tunes. The Turkish Folkloric Association recorded 40 songs and tunes from the Tahtacı people in Narlıdere- Izmir in 1957.
Between 1937 and 1952,the Ankara State Conservatory arranged a further nine trips as a result of which nearly 10.000 tunes and folk songs from all over Turkey were collected, arranged and recorded.
Both individual and institutional research continues to this day. Ege University is undertaking a systematic program for the classification of folk materials of Izmir and the Aegean region.
The Provincial Cultural Directorate of the city of Izmir , has produced various publications of the lyrics, melodies and dance steps found in Izmir and the Aegean Region for interested members of the non-academic public.
So far 99 pieces, consisting of 62 vocal, 35 instrumental dance tunes and 2 free-rhythm songs, have been taken into the TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation) Turkish Folk Music collection.
Many folk songs and tunes have been collected from Izmir up to the present day. The majority of the above mentioned publications involve mostly simple local information. These publications lack a systematic approach and theoretical analysis. However they will be unique referances for advanced studies.
Ali Fuat Aydın
February 2007, Izmir


Notes on Izmir Rum Folk Music

For thousands of years, Izmir had been the city of happiness, prosperity and attraction center for the Rums. Steady Rum migration from Greece, the Aegean islands and central Anatolia until the beginning of 20th Century, cultural relations with Western Europe, and inevitable interaction with Ottoman Turkish culture are the three major reasons for the richness and complexity of Rum folk music tradition. Joyful songs and dances were brought from the islands, while dignified ballads and zeybeks represent the contrasting scales of the tradition. We can affirm that the Turks and Rums who had lived together since the 14th Century mutually established a musical tradition based on shared tunes and rhythms. It would be too difficult and too emotional to try to understand this theme through the innumerable songs that have been sung in both languages; as in both music traditions there are some aspects that cannot be explained by the idea of interaction due to the existence of many genuine folk music forms originating from culture as well as language differences.
I will roughly analyze the Rum folk music tradition in Izmir under the subtitles of "coastal region", "inland" and "urban music of Izmir":
Coastal Region:
When we take a look at Rum folklore in and around Izmir, we see that Erithrea, which does not have an exact meaning in Turkish as a region, was commonly used to describe the area west of Izmir. Until 1910's a prosperous agricultural society that used modern production techniques was located around the Erithrea region that included Çeşme, Alaçatı, Urla, Seferihisar and Karaburun and functioned as a modern community by following up the cultural daily events in nearby Izmir. Numerous songs and dances were collected from the wide area which also includes inland from the Aegean that is called "Asia Minor" by Rums, from the emigrants who left Erithrea. Since 1907, many ethnomusicologists recorded many songs and dance melodies either directly from Erithrea or through the Erithrean emigrants living in Greece.
Eventually, music culture of the region had established a close relationship with the migration from the islands. Due to the geographical closeness of Izmir with the islands, it was more familiar with island music culture than the other regions. Therefore violin and santur accompanied the songs and especially the dances as it is in the Aegean islands.
The song and dance repertoire of the region is composed of ballos which have dominant foot figures; slow syrtos which are danced by holding each others' handkerchiefs; a fast kind of syrto alestika which is danced in a cheerful island style, with hands free; slow and fast hasapikos; face to face danced karsilamas and of course zeybekikos.
More common than the violin and the santur, a kind of a percussion called tumbeki or tumbi or a pan called tavades would accompany the songs. They even played "trays" in big festive gatherings where clowns were brought to entertain the public. Tumbekis, made of earth, used to be made mostly in Erithrea; occasionally, they would bring some tumbekis from Menemen. This region has songs in many forms on various subjects, such as raider songs and old frontier songs called Akritika; as well as songs relating long stories on common folk song themes; wedding songs; laments; lullabies; nursery rhymes; love songs and religious songs. I was deeply touched when I discovered that a lullaby sung by my mother was melodically the same as a lullaby sung by an amateur musician, Cleonike Tzoanaki, who was an immigrant of Erithrea. Erithrean songs include many mythological and pagan elements. In gatherings organised for women, it was customary to make up impromptu rhymes. Another custom followed in Erithrea from Easter Tuesday until summertime was called "lembi" (from Lesvos, lembi: a boat). Young girls and boys would sit on a lembi - a swing made by hanging ropes from tree branches- and sing folk songs, love songs, school songs, popular songs, spring songs or patriotic songs while swinging.
Inland:
Although there has been less research on inland areas around Izmir, we see that zeybek is more dominant in inland areas than in the coastal region. Fewer Rums lived in villages and towns outside of Izmir and thus they were distinguished from Rum influenced by the Izmir tradition because they had a much higher rate of interaction with local Turks. Turks and Rums together embraced slow ballads and zeybekikos. Along with the zeybeks belonging to each community, some of the zeybeks were sung in both Turkish and Greek. For some old zeybeks, Greek lyrics were written so they became a part of the Zmirneiko repertory. If we leave the well known examples aside, we can talk about
an Aydın zeybek that begins with the lyrics, "Ben susadım, su isterim (I'm thisty, I want some water)", Under the title of "Ematha pos ise mangas" it had been listed with beloved Izmir Greek songs; even today it is performed with great joy. The first compilations of Izmir Rum songs after the Population Exchange were carried out by the Asia Minor Research Institute established during 1928 in Greece. Melpo and Octave Merlier established the Institute and collected hundreds of folk songs from the Rum immigrants who came from all around Anatolia. These were joined later on, during the 50's by the studies of Simon Karas and during the 70's by the work of singer and scholar Domna Samiou and the compilations of Lykeon Hellenidon. And this whole body of work constituted a comprehensive base of Izmir and Anatolian Rum folk songs in general.
Urban music of Izmir:
The first known compilation of urban music of Izmir was carried out by a Frenchman, composer, ethnomusicologist Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray (1840-1910) during the 1870's. Although some of the collected songs were passed to Izmir from Erithrea and/or Aydın, the characteristics of the majority of songs reflect the unique culture of this well-established city. These old urban songs of Izmir, sung to the accompaniment of common Ottoman instruments (lute, kemenche, kanun, violin, bells and other percussion instruments) were pioneers of the rebetiko song genre which conquered all of Greece beginning from 1924. They had a dual characteristic which included both an Anatolian delicacy and the joy of buoyant island tunes commonly found in Erithrea. We should mention the form Tabakaniotiko right here. This form which can be defined roughly as artistic gazel, was the precursor of amane. Tabakaniotiko form, transferred first to Mitillini (Lesbos) and to other islands nearby with the Population Exchange.
In this amusing city life of hundreds of thousands Rums before 1920, every detail, remembered or not, was together. During those years many professional music ensembles were located in Izmir. The folk songs brought from inland Aegean villages as well as the ones identified with the grandeur of the city, were sung starting in the afternoon at places that were called by various names depending on their grandeur, decoration, and according to the drinks that they sold. At the beginning of 20th century, music ensembles called Estudiantin (Students) were widespread in Izmir more than in Istanbul. Estudiantin ensembles consisted of many mandolins and guitars and they used to play popular European songs or Rum songs carrying the same influences. Although they had recorded some of the folk songs from time to time, in general they had represented an elitist taste.
In short, at the beginning of the century, there was a well developed musical culture along with a rich entertainment life, not easily visualised, performed by Izmir Turks, Rums, Armenians, Jews, Levantines and Gypsy (Roma) musicians.
Many of the urban songs of Izmir, the best loved Turkish melodies and some of the
folk songs, were carried to Greece before and after the Population Exchange by many musicians from Izmir. Shortly after the introduction of the recording industry in Greece in 1924, songs of Izmir called Zmyrneikos, had attracted much attention. Pioneering Izmirian musician Panagiotis Tundas and Kostas Skarvelis from İstanbul along with many Anatolian Rum musicians held key posts in the Greek record industry. They worked as managers and music consultants for well known companies such as Columbia and RCA Victor (His Master's Voice). The situation provided them the opportunity to shape the taste of music in Greece. Thousands of Izmir-style rebetikos were recorded on 78's. Thus Izmir-style rebetiko continued until the mid-1930's. Let's remember some of the unforgettable composers of rebetiko from Izmir: Evangelos Papazoglu, Panagiotis Tundas, Kostas Rukunas, Kostas Karipis, Stefanos Vezos, Konstantinos Nuros.
Now, as many decades have passed separating us from the terrifying events that are hard to forget resulting in the splitting of two societies, the music of Izmir has become more alive in Greece. Since the beginning of the 20th Century, Greek folk music of Izmir played an important role in the evolution of contemporary Greek music.
Many immigrant associations, in New Izmir, New Ephesus, New Phocia, New Halicarnassus and New Erithrea in Greece, have been active for decades bringing forth the dances and songs of Izmir onto stages of amateur and professional musicians, despite changing music taste. I am sure some young Greeks look for their roots through the voice of Andonis Anagnostu (1919-1985) who sang Anatolian folk songs with his lute; or perhaps some women put their children to sleep with the lullabies that my mother used to sing to me.
We had almost forgotten the Rum folk songs which originated from Anatolia until the 1990's. As rebetiko was rediscovered in our country in those days, the songs of Izmir have finally reached today's Turkish audience. Many Izmir-style rebetiko examples can be found in two Rebetiko CD compilations prepared by me (Rebetika and Rebetika II), and released by Kalan Music. These songs are now performed by many Turkish musicians in concert halls and taverns. This album is meant to complete the image of "Gavur Izmir", reminding and bringing to life the multicultural Izmir prior to 1922.
Muammer Ketencoğlu
22 October 2007, İstanbul


Jewish History and Music in Izmir

The existence of Jews in the Aegean area of Anatolia dates back to the First Century B.C. According to historical sources, King Horkanus of Judaea, who was patronized by the Romans, wrote a letter to the Roman governor Donabella to demand some rights for the Jews living in that region. The governor responded to the Council at Ephesus, which was considered to be the most important city of Asia. Thus we know that Jews existed in the Dinar, Edremit and Bergama regions during that period.
Many centuries later, to escape Byzantine oppression, Jews moved to lands recently conquered by the more benign Seljuks, and it is acknowledged that Jews inhabited various places in Anatolia during this time. According to Avram Galante, the Medieval tombstone remainder found at Milas is engraved in Hebrew, and the Çıfıt Castle at Gümüşlü also indicates a Jewish presence during Seljuk rule.
During the years of the Ottoman conquest of Anatolia from the Byzantines, many Jewish communities, known as Romaniote, who had lived in Anatolia for 1600 years before the beginning of the Ottoman Empire, fled along with other migrating groups, to other places due to the wars. According to the historian Slomo Rozanes, open-minded Ottoman rulers tried to encourage the fleeing communities, especially the Jews, to return to Anatolia. One of the important factors in that decision, which was made in order to consolidate the newly established empire, was the desire to benefit from the proven success and experience of the Jewish community in trade, industry, finance, art and the sciences.
During the rule of Mehmet I (1413-1421), Izmir became a territory of the Empire. According to Rozanes, the Jewish population of the city was not large during those times; however, it became an important center later on. Afterwards, Jewish communities settled in various Ottoman cities other than Izmir. Great numbers of Iberian (Sephardi) Jews, who had been driven away from Spain in 1492 took refuge in the Ottoman territories. Beyazid II (1481-1512) was not mistaken in his decision to provide a refuge for the Jews, as they had a great amount of cultural sophistication.
Jews established considerable industry in Ottoman lands and became the most important participants in cannon and arms production; and to the enterprise of textile weaving and dying, they brought an experienced labor force and new ideas. The very first printing press was also brought to the Turks by the Jews. They soon became high-ranking Court officials; they were intimately involved in finance and foreign affairs; and Jewish doctors were appointed to important positions. Generally, Iberian Jews in the Aegean region were located around Manisa, Tire and Urla. A small city during the 16th century, Izmir became an important port during the 17th century, creating a magnet for Europeans to the city, and in a short while the Europeans opened consulates there. During this period, Jews who spoke foreign languages went into brokerage and retail businesses and worked as translators for the consulates and customs offices. A Jewish printing house had been established in Istanbul by the brothers David and Samuel ibn Nahmias as early as 1493 and Yona Ben Yaakov Eskenazi opened a branch in Izmir during the 17th century. The most valuable manuscripts, sent by the Jewish communities of Israel, Rhodes, Egypt and Iraq, were printed at the Izmir branch. The type moulds were made at the same foundry as those for the preparation of the first Turkish printing house.
The 17th century was a golden age for Izmir. As the Jewish population increased, so the numbers of intellectuals, clergy, tradesmen, industrialists and especially doctors rose. Jewish tradesmen from Izmir built up relations with many countries from the Balkans to the Far-East thus contributing positively to the economy of the Empire. However the1688 earthquake and the case of Sabbatai Zevi were the two core reasons for the fall of the Jewish community in Izmir. The accusations of being a false Messiah directed against Sabbatai Zevi led to the blocking of the established trade routes of the Empire. Community relations were adversely affected during Zevi's greatest period of popularity, and social and business activities declined as the Jewish community waited anxiously for the outcome of the ongoing crisis. Zevi's banishment from Izmir in 1654 enabled the community, at least partially, to recover. However it was some time before economic and social life returned to normal.
While Izmir had been experiencing "an industrial and a trade expansion", Jewish communities living in Thessaloniki and Istanbul were trying to get used to the pause in their daily lives. During that period many Jewish families moved to Izmir for a better life. Historians such as Aron Rodrigue and Ester Benbasa have pointed out that while some benefited from the prosperity in trade, other parts of the Jewish community suffered from bad living conditions, poverty, famine, plague and fire.
Jewish journalism contributed to the development of the community in Turkey through the medium of the Ladino language brought from the Iberian peninsula at the end of the 15th century. "La Buena Esperansa", in 1842, was the first magazine to be printed in Izmir in the Ladino language. Later, other magazines and newspapers were printed in Istanbul. But, by the middle of the 20th century, Turkish became the common language among the Jews, while the Ladino language faded.
During The War for Independence, the Jews remained loyal to the Turks. The official representatives and directors of Jewish institutions supported the Turks and avoided cooperating with the Greeks. During the Greek occupation of Western Anatolia and Thrace, the Rums supported the annexation of the area to Greece and also acted against the Jews.
The cooperation between Turks and Jews during the occupation of Izmir and the Aegean region was of great value. There were many incidents which highlighted this interdependence around Izmir, Söke and Bergama. During the war, the economic infrastructure in many cities and towns had been destroyed. The retreating Greeks had burnt and destroyed villages and towns. Approximately fifteen thousand Jews had lost all their property and belongings, so they took shelter in Izmir. The Jews living around Aydın, Nazilli and Denizli never returned after their departure. Only some small groups from the Manisa, Tire, Milas, Turgutlu and Bergama regions remained. Fifteen thousand homeless Jews who had moved to Izmir suffered from poverty and lived around schools and synagogues and on the streets. Some groups moved overseas. It took some time for the remaining population to resume a normal life, though, due to the departure of the Armenians and Greeks (Rums) from the area, they managed to take the opportunities offered in trade and played an important role during the 1920s and 1930s in the economic life of Turkey. In those days, the Jewish population of Izmir was 40.000 (according to the non-official records of El Tiempo newspaper); it is now around 1700. In conjunction with general social-economic developments in Turkey, Jews played an important role not only in trade activities but also in such fields as technology, science and art.
The language of the Jews living in Izmir and in other areas was mainly Ladino, also known as Judeo-Espanyol–an authentic language based on Medieval Spanish that was brought from Iberia and preserved up to modern times. Songs in the Ladino language were among the most important manifestations of Sephardic culture. The tradition of the romance or romansa had the highest cultural value. This tradition has survived throughout more than 5 centuries. "Alma Miya" in our album, provides an example for the romansa tradition. Although medieval romances have almost been forgotten in Spain, Jews have assimilated this culture as their own and guaranteed its survival throughout the generations until today. These romances are defined by traditional Spanish folk ballads and called Romancero. Although they resemble epic poetry, actually they consist of stories and dramatic narrations sung to music. The themes of these stories are generally based on court dramas and adventurous love stories of princes and knights. Medieval romances are generally formulated as a single part melodical refrains and put the emphasis on the story rather than the melodical form of the songs. In this way, they carry the audience to a dream world whose spirit fills the repeated refrains. Due to its structure, lullabies that mothers prefer to sing have always followed the form of Sephardic romances. Naturally, within the historical process these romances have been affected by the culture of various regions and have been shaped in different ways such as the song Alma Miya in the album. The second Sepharad example in this album, "En Este Mundo" is a kantika. The kantika is a song type which does not have its roots in Spain, but rather has been shaped or adapted into the Ladino language within the regions where the Jewish communities have been located. As it is evident through the examples, the same melody had been sung in different languages by interacting cultures living side-by-side. We can only acknowledge the roots of Sepharad music through the 78 rpm recordings of the twentieth century. Many of these 78 rpms have survived to this day.
Hayim Yapacı Efendi made the first Sephardic recording in 1905, followed 20 years later by Ishak Algazi from Izmir who had a splendid vocal technique evidenced on later recordings. Ishak Algazi is the most important hazan* of Sephardis. Algazi who was highly respected and loved by both Jews and also Muslim Turks, spent most of his life in Turkey until he moved to Uruguay for the last period of his life. Born in Izmir in 1889, he was raised in the intellectual circles that developed with the opening of schools sponsored by the French Alliance Israelite Universelle during the second half of 19th century. Algazi learned both Jewish and Turkish music. He had participated in the Portuguese Synagogue chorus during his youth, whose performances were similar to the Edirne Maftirim* Chorus. Kantor*Algazi was also known for his performance of non- religious music and succeeded in being counted as one of the most important classical Turkish music composers and performers. He was also admired by Atatürk and it has been said that he had performed a couple of times for him.
Sephardic songs have been collected and documented by many ethnomusicologists. The most important person who was involved in this undertaking was Isac Levy who was born in Manisa in 1919. Levy collected four volumes of songs and romances. His religious song collection consists of ten volumes. He also personally performed some of these songs. Levy worked as the Director of the Ladino Department at Kol Israel Radio in Israel for many years. He encouraged many singers to interpret these songs to make sure the culture would be remembered. He had died in Jerusalem in 1977.
The most important Jewish composers and musicians who lived in Izmir and its surroundings were Rabbi Yontov Danon, Chief Rabbi Avram Aryas, Elia Levi, Ishak Barki, Hayim Alazraki, Santo şikar, Jack Mayesh, (Bülbül) Salamon Algazi and Ishak Algazi.

Production Team

Arrangement:Cengiz Onural
Arrangement:Muammer Ketencoglu
Mastering:Bora Ebeoglu
Graphic Design:Burcu Kayalar
Photograph:Mithat Cinar
Photograph:Orhan Cem Cetin
Recording:Cengiz Onural
English Translation:Ozlem Yasayanlar
Editor:Deniz Ketencoglu
Editor:Tarik Ovunc
Editor:Charles Howard
Editor:Judith Frangos
Mixing:Cengiz Onural
Producer:Muammer Ketencoglu
Production:Kalan Muzik
Printing:FRS Matbaacilik
Recording:Studyo Aria
Mixing:Studyo Aria

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Tracklist:
01 - Uçun Kuşlar / Fly, You Birds
02 - Medilimin Ucuna Sakız Bağladım Sakız / I Tied Mastic To My Handkerchief
03 - Hicaz Taksim / Tanbur Solo
04 - Esma
05 - İzmir Üçlemesi / Smyrna Trilogy
06 - To Salvari / The Shalwar (Şalvar)
07 - Alt'ay Oldu Ben Bu Dağı Aşalı / It's Been Siz Monts Since (Crossed This
Mountain)
08 - Hürmüz Hanım / Ms. Hürmüz
09 - Muhayyer Taksim / Kemenche Solo
10 - Milo Mu Ke Mandarini / My Apple, My Mandarin (Elmam, Mandalinam Benim)
11 - Segah Taksim / Trumpet Solo
12 - Üç Kemerin Dibeği / The Mortar Of The Three Arches
13 - Alma Miya / My Love (Canım Benim)
14 - Şu İzmir'den Çekirdeksiz Nar Gelir / From Izmir Comes Seedless Pomegranates
15 - To Dervisaki / The Dervish (Derviş)
16 - Gökşen Efe'm / Gokchen The Hero
17 - Yalo Yalo / From Coast To Coast (Kıyı Kıyı)