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Asik Verysel (Kalan Music, Turkey)
2 CD set
$21.99

Listen:
Kara Toprak
Ben Gidersem Sazim Sen Kal

From the liner notes:
Of the asiks, or minstrels, that lived in Anatolia during the past century. Asik Veysel is one of the most reknown and often spoken of.

The 1920s and 30s are years in which the asik tradition present over Anatolia, due to changing socio-political and economic conditions, entered a new and different period. This was the period in which Veysel came onto the scene. As a middle-aged artist, he was able to take excellent advantage of the opportunities before him, and within a short time had become one of the singular figures in the asik profession, working tirelessly for his cause. He became even more known for his works such as "Lament for Atatürk" and "Black Earth"; and through his recordings, published books and teaching positions at village institutes, he was able to reach a vast audience.

In this booklet, we have tried to examine Veysel's place within the asik tradition, his connection to central authority and its ideology, and musical examples, of which very few have been examined till now. The first CD is comprised of the best recordings of Asik Veysel’s most well- known performances. The second CD is devoted to selections from 78s, "deyis," (folk poetry) and folk song recordings which have until now never been published. in choosing these selections, utmost care has been taken in selecting those that best illustrate Asik Veysel’s status as an asik, his mastery as a performer of deyis,, and as a "source person".

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