Our Turkish friend Kamal asked us to team up with Nazli to play for an international society concert up at the Uni. Kamal plays the Baglama, a seven stringed instrument that looks for all the world like a big gourd with a long neck.It was difficult at first for us to get our heads round the style of the Turkish rhythms and melodies but we got there in the end and managed to put four songs together.
There is nothing understated about the Turkish style; it is all about passion and emotional intensity, as Kamal says to us 'you have to feel it in your heart.' Here is one of the songs we performed called Günes topla benim için which means 'bring the sun to me'.
Seher yeli çik daglara
Günes topla benim için
Haber ilet dört diyara canim
Günes topla benim için
Umutlarin arasindan
Kirpiklerin karasindan
Döste biçak yarasindan canim
Günes topla benim için
Seher yeli yar gözünden
Havadaki kus izinden
Geceleyin gök yüzünden canim
Günes topla benim için
roughly translates as:
Twilight wind climb the mountains
Bring the sun to me
Let everyone know everywhere
Bring the sun to me
From the hopes
From the black eyebrows
From the knife bruises collect the sun
Bring the sun to me
From the eye of my lover
From the trace of the birds in the sky
From the sky at night
Darling, collect and bring the sun to me.
I'm happy to go along with that as spring is coming on although I suspect our lovestruck young Turk has it in mind to find light, love and prosperity in the dark eyebrows of beautiful young women. Well, looking at Nazli, who could blame him.... really?
9 comments:
I went to a fabulous concert of Spanish early music last night. It was these people. Fantastic.
A fun evening for all, I'm sure. I not so sure I can really get my head around any rhythm! And must keep a low profile when the singing starts.
I'm taking parsnip advice again - beautiful plants, but just wondering if I'll ever get one to eating stage! Stop by and take a look when you have time.
Hey, maybe you could try growing one of those weird elongated gourds and putting some strings on it ... be great for busking! :)
Good idea rebs....if the busking was crap you could just sit down and eat your instrument!
I last got stopped from busking by two pc's (one would not have been enough?) who had received complaints from some charity collectors that I was earning more than they were.
Thanks for the parsnip advice. To continue with the experimental theme in the garden, I'll let some of the parsnips continue growing and watch them flower. Then early next year, I'll get them off to a proper start.
What a lovely song - that complete merging of love of nature and love of someone. Even with just the words it comes across quite strongly. I would have loved to have been there. And yes, it does help that Nazli is quite duskily beautiful!
Let us know if you do it again and I'll try to clear the decks to see you all.
looby: Fraid it was a one time only gig as Kamal has gone back home to Turkey now. I am making a cd out of the material we did though if you would like a copy?
One, yes I would. Two, Your audio entry has been taken down. Any chance of a repost?
Yes OK....I will post it again to a site with a little more longevity but not till I get back to work. I'm getting very peed off with blogger not letting me in from home to post stuff. The CD should be done in a week or two.
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