WHO WAS ALSO WITH US(*) (WHICH ARABAESQUE)?
(Young man and his girl friend were sightseeing hand to hand subsequently their college lessons concluded. As they were walking along the streets suddenly he became aware of his old mother who had been picking edible junk food she tried to find from the garbage cans. However, since he was ashamed of his mother he pretended as if he did not see her. He was praying for his mother would not perceive him. Though the mother in fact recognized his son, she remained unaware so that her son would not get ashamed of her…)
The narrative mentioned above is neither from a movie of Küçük Emrah- one of the representatives of the music known as arabesque in Turkey-, nor a story from Kemalettin Tuğcu- a popular tragic story writer. This extremely arabesque narrative is derived from one totally American story. From the novel of William Peter Blatty’s “the exorcist” which translated into Turkish as “Şeytan”.
Therefore, why has Orhan Gencebay been disturbed by using the term arabesque when people categorize his music?
His popularity was rising from the beginning of the 1970s. All of his records were becoming event, his songs were on everybody’s lips, he was starting getting offers from countless of movie makers, famous interviewers, and almost every house in the country was becoming familiar with his distinctive voice.
Then in one of those days it was said how a supposedly uneducated man who seems bully could launch these impressive songs. This was because, those songs were out of genres known by people until then. They were neither pop and traditional nor arrangement(**).
Those who could relatively carefully listen to his songs did not want to admit that he composed all of these works. Instead, they asserted that this man simply launched music by stealing from Arabic radios.
Then in those years, his music was called arabesque which means the music derived from Arabic origin. Though it was completely wrong, the tough years for Orhan Gencebay and his receptive audiences were beginning.
He was saying in the 1970s that if anyone could prove that he was creating the music by stealing from Arabic radios, he would immediately put an end his music career without any hesitation.
As it was told, that his music was called arabesque is attributed to a condescending attitude. Firstly it was seen stolen from Arabic music. By virtue of this he perpetually and strongly denies all arguments where his music is called arabesque. For years he has been getting arabesque the same as falsification.
(The term arabesque music actually was originally coming from the term Arabic music, and it means the music similar to Arabic genre. However, it was not the term of the environments who found his music as a kind of synthesis or inspiration from Arabic musical culture. Rather they imply that his is stolen from Arabic music. Personally I started listening to his music before I was a primary school student. One day one adult had told me that she could not understand why I liked his music as I was a child of intellectual parents. This question has exactly pointed to how some people see arabesque music and why Orhan Gencebay strictly oppose them).
Nonetheless, there are other meanings apart from the one created from a culture that always is cynical and look down upon those people who think differently. I will emphasize only one of these here.
Arabesque means “pessimist” too. As an adjective it also expresses sadness and pessimism. From this point of view, both Turkish musical culture and that of the whole world have included many arabesque works. These works are upsetting, emotional, melancholic, and tragic, sometimes can make people cry.
Therefore,
The music of the “love story” is arabesque. The movie is very arabesque as well.
The song once performed by Zeki Müren- one of the greatest figure of traditional Turkish art music from the post republic era in Turkey- “gözlerinin içine başka hayal girmesin” is arabesque.
The words of “rüzgar söylüyor”- one of the very famous work of Şekip Ayhan Özışık who is known as one of the pioneers of Turkish Art Music- is arabesque.
“Aldırma gönül” -the song of Edip Akbayram who is known as one of the pioneers of Anatolian pop music- is arabesque.
“Yukarıdan aşağıdan yolun sonu görünüyor” – one Turkish folk song- is arabesque.
“The godfather” the movie has got arabesque scenes.
Tolstoy’s novel which is known as the best of the world Anna Karenin is of an arabesque story.
If I say all Russian classical novels are arabesque, that will not be an exaggeration.
“Kırık Hayatlar” of Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil- a very distinctive Turkish novelist from the last of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century-, “Fikrimin İnce Gülü” of Adalet Ağaoğlu – one of the most famous Turkish novelist who is still alive- are other examples from the literature.
Everything may be arabesque when we define the term as great sadness.
In one song of Kıraç- very popular musician in Turkish pop music, it is said in Turkish language “how arabesque days I lived, and cried while looking at your picture”
On the other hand, there also is arabesque meaning the music made with Arabic sounds. That is what Orhan Gencebay is against.
(Similarly, “blues” the music, which originally belongs to black people and is thought as the basic for pop and even rock music and is the synthesis of the west and African music, means deep sadness in English language)
All in all, defining Orhan Gencebay’s music as arabesque, the meaning of which stolen from Arabic culture, is simply ignorance. However, if we mean deep sadness and call his music arabesque, then we might somewhat be right.
.
(*): The title has been referring to one of his greatest songs called “sen de bizdensin” which is translated into English as “you are also with us”.
(**) In Turkish musical industry arrangement means some songs that originally are western, however some professionals called in Turkish language “aranjör” used to write Turkish words instead of original ones. Therefore in arrangements, while all notes and general music would be kept in their original form, words would be replaced with words in Turkish. And translation into Turkish was not necessary.
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