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Mevlevi – Musical instruments

19.08.2019MevlanaRUMI FEST
The Instruments used in the Mevlevi ceremonies

This year talented musicians from different cities of Turkey have united to perform at VI International Festival of Oriental Art and Music “RUMI FEST”. The group name is Meydan Musiki. All of them are well-known in their homeland for their achievements and research in the field of music. Their performance is a magnificent example of authentic ancient melodies. In the first part of the concert, which will take place on 27 September at VEF Culture Palace, the musicians will play classical Turkish music of the Ottoman Empire, and the Mevlevi music. In the second part the audience will see the Big Sema Ceremony, which roots back into centuries, to the time when the Mevlevi order was founded in Konya.

Musicians and singers of Meydan Musiki:

Harun Korkmaz – vocal
Ahmet Cavit Altinkaynak – ney
Engin Baykal – kudum and bendir
Yusuf İhsan Tökel – tanbur

Let’s go a little deeper into the history and touch the issue of musical instruments, which have been played by the Mevlevi members since ancient times during their praying sessions and Sema ceremonies.

The Sufi ceremony Sema includes whirling, playing musical instruments, singing, recitation of prayers, wearing symbolic garments. Considerable attention in the ceremony is attached to music and used musical instruments, filled with deep sacral meaning.

The REBAB

An ancient bow instrument of Arabic origin. Its body consists of a halved coconut shell with either thin leather or the membrane of a cattle’s heart stretched across the opening. Protruding from the body is a rather cylindrical neck with wooden tuning pegs at one end. It has a foot stand, or holder, made of wood or metal. The strings hold the bridge in place over the stretched skin of the body. The sound of the rebab is produced by moving the bow hairs over the strings. The strings are also made of hairs. The Rebab produces touching emotional tones.

The Ney

The Ney is made up of a special type of yellow-colored reed consisting of tough fibers and nine naturally joined segments. It grows abundant in warm moist climates. The choicest varieties are to found growing along the Nile and Ceyhan Rivers. What is usually the case is that in a reed bed of a thousand reeds, perhaps only one single reed is suitable for producing the Ney. Any dyestuff or wax is not used in Ney production with a mind to preserving its natural attributes. A Ney can remain in service for well up to 200-300 years with even a gradual increase in playability provided that it is well protected and properly maintained. A Ney’s color may darken in the course of time, and if this is the case, it is considered more precious.

The Ney is the symbol of the “Perfect Man” who has matured by passing through many phases of purification. The Ney, discolored, hollowed out and bored through with holes, pines for its reed bed. While pining, it mournfully wails its innermost secrets to all mankind. These secrets are divine revelations about the love. For this reason the Ney is deemed. People, who play the ney are called “neyzen”.

The KUDUM

Made of beaten copper, the kudum consists of two drums, each 28-30 cm in diameter and 16-18 cm in height. Tanned leather or camel leather thinned to a thickness of 1-2 mm is stretched over each drum with the help of ropes. The kudum is tuned by tightening or loosening the ropes. The accented right-handed drum taps are called “tek”, and the weaker left-handed taps are called “dum”. The auxiliary taps into which rhythms are subdivided are called “velvete”.

The kudum is played with two wooden sticks called “zahme”. These are made of hard and heavy wood and are roughly 24-28 cm in length. A person who plays kudum is called a “kudumzen”. The smaller drum of the kudum is called “nakkare”, and the bigger one is “kos”, and the two are used in Mehter Music (the band music of the Ottoman military).

The Mevlevi Sufis call the kudum “kudum-I serif” (the sacred kudum), thus regarding the kudum as sacred, as the Ney was regarded as sacred. People, who play the kudum are called “kudumzen”.

The BENDIR and DAIRE (DAF)

Usually made from walnut wood, the frame is 30-60 cm in diameter and 6-8 cm wide. The skin, less than 1 mm thick, is stretched across it. Usually camel, cattle, goat and sheep leathers are preferred.

Like the other instruments in tekke Music, the bendir is assigned a sacred status with the name “bendir-I serif”, or “mahzar-I serif” (the sacred bendir, or mahzar, respectively). The bendir is to be played with the hands, with one hand holding it from below. It is held above waist level, and never placed on the knee or between legs. It is played with the fingers, palm and backside of the free hand, which strike the skin at varying angles and with varying strength. The result is such that the skin is either struck or brushed. The free hand can be accomplished by the fingers of the hand holding the instrument. Those who play bendir are called “bendirzen”, while those who play the daf – “defzen”.

The HALILE

The discs of this percussive instrument, resembling pot covers, are played by either clashing the two discs head-on, or by sliding them across each other. The discs are pierced at their centers where leather handles are tied. It is possible to produce high or low pitched sounds which are either staccato or sustained. Halile players are called “halilezen”.

The Mevlevi fraternity has been paying a great attention to musical education at all times. Music and playing musical instruments, apart from mathematics, astronomy, art and other fundamental disciplines, were among the main subjects that were studied at the school of dervishes. Music, songs, playing musical instruments were an integral part of daily life of the fraternity, be it household activities, a holiday or a Sufi session. Thus the information about the Mevlevis, their traditions and foundations, would be incomplete and inaccurate, if we would not try, though shortly,  to share some facts on this topic.

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