Turkey Tour: Part 1 - Bodrum/Gümüşlük

Hello.
Merhaba!
We’re musicians from Canada. We’re here to learn about the music and culture of Turkey. Yes, folk and traditional music from different regions of Turkey. Do you know Fazil Say? Oh, of course, you’ve seen him many times? He’s quite a well-known figure in Turkey and worldwide now. We’d love to ask you a few questions, would you mind us recording this?

Something like that.
12 days. 4 cities. Countless moments of kindness from strangers, monumental or minute, recorded on camera or only briefly in passing. Musicians or bus drivers or grocery store cashiers. Sounds of different instruments we’ve only heard on YouTube. Familiar melodies we’ve imitated thousands of times on cello and piano now sung live by locals called together by the sound of a saz playing Âşık Veysel’s “Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım”, crescendoing into a melancholic yet celebratory chorus as people gather to chant, laugh, and dance.

“Everyone knows these songs.
You could begin the melody anywhere, and even a baby will know it and join in.”

It was deeply moving, and precious. A honour and privilege. Always humbling. To find ourselves invited into these intimate spaces, to feel the joy of people sharing music, sharing passion and love for their stories, their poetry, their land and food and customs, their heroes, artists, their laments as well as triumphs.

We heard so many stories. Even with all that’s lost in translation, we felt the power in their weight, their emotional truth.

But all that’s to say - it hasn’t been all easygoing, smooth-sailing in the slightest. Magical encounters did occur, because we were bold, trusting, spontaneous - perhaps even ‘reckless’ as some would put it. But we set ourselves up (…safely and wisely, I’d like to believe…) for moments of trust to build and blossom between strangers. In such short amounts of time, we put in the effort, energy, and authentic vulnerability to open our arms so that we are prepared to receive and give thanks to the hospitality this land and its people were so generous in offering when given the trust and opportunity. It’s still about that trust. My word of the year.

It took a lot of energy. There was brutal cultural shock, confusion and doubts, exhaustion, heat stroke, language barriers, huge hurdles in simple day-to-day survival tasks like finding enough water or taking the right bus. But the more we observed, the more we practiced, the more we began to understand the customs, gestures, and communications as to how to show respect, how to ask for help, how to approach people - the more comfortable we became in this foreign land. And moreover - to accept that it’s okay to misstep, it’s okay to not know the rules, to accidentally break or disrespect them, to be scammed, or when your most patient and friendly intentions are returned with rudeness and hostility.

There are all kinds of people in any corner of the world, living through all kinds of circumstances. At the end of the day, perhaps it’s what we choose to see, perhaps it’s what we’d like to believe, but I still vouch that the abundance of love, kindness, and generosity of this place is truly heartwarming.

Top of Karakaya Village with our dear friend *Nehir*! 7.16.2023

Saz player *Devrim* demonstrating various traditional techniques on the instrument. 7.16.2023.

Now, a brief recap of our journey across Four Cities in Turkey.

Part 1 - Bodrum/Gümüşlük

There’s really something to be said about actually physically existing in a space to begin to embody its spirit. The images, tastes, smells, sounds, tiny vibrations and energies in the air from the collective existence now and thousands of years prior, all infused into a space and its tangible and intangible representations - the majestic spectacular mosques, the old worn cobblestone streets, the bustling markets and overwhelming aromas of ripe fruits and nuts and spices …

“To immerse ourselves in the culture.”
That was the original project proposal. But what does that mean? To within 12 days, get a brief taste of the daily life, values, attitudes … ‘culture’ - what is that? How?

Of course we were ‘tourists’. We didn’t speak the language, we didn’t wear hijabs, we didn’t know the fair trade price for a cup of coffee. We had no local contacts in Turkey to begin with. So naturally, we began with visiting the main tourist attractions and and landmarks. And they were gorgeous, for sure. They would’ve made stunning footages to portray Turkey’s natural and architectural beauty. But I was itching to dig for more - as always, that personal connection, the chance encounters and miraculous path crossings between people who might become life long friends simply because of a precise moment of our timelines lining up at the right place and right time - and then, also, us both daring to say: hello, where are you from?

To be able to perceive when an invitation is genuine, selfless, and welcoming, and to accept that hospitality. To let others help you. That trust can open door after door, build bridge upon bridge.

That’s how just as we were returning from our gruelling hot hike up the historical Karakaya Village, we ran into Nehir - a tall elegant lady in stylish hat, sunglasses, and beach cover just returning from a morning dip down at Gümüşlük beach. Upon exchanging just a few words of greetings, we found out she’s a huge music lover and is eager to do all she can to help our research project and connect us with local artists and musicians.

From there, we were completely blown away by the hospitality. Not just the down-to-earth manner Nehir welcomed us into her home to cook a delicious lunch and introduce us to her neighbours who also invited us over for coffee and cookies, but also the endearing enthusiasm and motherly care Nehir exuded that made us feel like we were already a family who just happened to find each other so far away from home.

Thanks to Nehir’s quick calls to her local network, we met and interviewed various visual and craft artists, the Artistic Director of The Gümüşlük International Music Festival, Eren Levendoğlu, and heard and witnessed up close the incredible performance of saz player Devrim Canen, all so casually and intimately outside the musical school in a parking lot accompanied by the orange glow of the sunset …

We can’t say enough how grateful we are for how these events miraculously unfolded. Thank you Yilmaz for taking us on an unforgettable sailing/snorkelling trip and introducing your saz friend to us who generously demonstrated the different styles of music from all four regions/cities we are visiting. This was the first conversation that highlighted important contexts, histories, and names of artists that we will keep hearing and grow more familiar with throughout the rest of our tour - which almost becomes like a unique, personal treasure hunt/detective-investigation-research case! Ruhi Su, Âşık Veysel, Erkan Oğur, Vedat Sakman…

Thank you again Nehir for driving us around all day and helping us translate and showing us the charming Gümüşlük beachfront and treating us to the most delicious Turkish foods at your favourite quiet and cozy garden cafe overlooking the sea… we can’t wait to welcome you and your family to Canada soon!

Next stop on the tour… Ankara, the capital!

A more silly/behind-the-scenes day by day rundown in pictures and videos courtesy of my brave and derpy partner throughout this wild journey, Darvn. Thanks for keeping us sane and alive and laughing. <3

Disclaimer: this is NOT the ‘official’ documentary, which may or may not be more ‘official’… x)

Day 1

breakfast @ Bodrum Börek Evi
Friday market @ Bodrum Bazaar
Bodrum Castle & Museum of Underwater Archeology
lunch @ Nazik Ana
Bodrum beach swim~
dinner @ Sloth’s Home
night live music scene on “Bar Street” - jazz duo, solo guitar, Turkish rock band