I am prone to surf around YouTube. Most of the time when I do this, it is music related. I watch favorites and explore pieces I have never heard before. Time literally flies when I do this. I think I have only been watching for a few minutes and always surprised that it has actually been more like a few hours.
This evening, rather than watch on my computer, I dialed up YouTube on the TV and surfed from my easy chair.
I started out with the Persian song I should be playing and recording for the University of Chicago Middle Eastern Music Ensemble which is actually due tonight. The more I hear this song, Rosvaye Zamaneh composed by Homayoun Khorram and sung masterfully by Alireza Ghorbani, the more I like it. There is a school of thought that Persian music is the oldest and most organized music in the Middle East and that the Arab and Turkish modal systems are derived from the Persian system.
YouTube then selected another Persian song. I actually thought it was Mexican band at first simply by the look of the fellow playing the classical guitar. I quickly changed my mind when I noticed the setar and bendir. The song Ahouhye Farari by the Hooniak Band was a pleasure to listen to. As their website is only in English, I am guessing they might be UK or US based. I like the singer Azadeh and how she plays to the camera.
If I am listening to Persian music, I always have to listen something by Viken Derderian (1929 – 2003) the Armenian Iranian composer and singer who is credited with bringing the guitar into Persian music. He is sometimes referred to the King of Iranian Pop. My favorite song of his is Chera Nemiraghase which is wonderful toe-tapping 6/8. There is an Armenian version, Heranum, that was recorded on Mid-Eastern Soul featuring Bob Tashjian and Souren Baronian. Here is Viken’s version.
At this time, I needed to listen to music from Kharpert where three quarters of my grandparents came from. There is a favorite YouTube of mine that I have not watched in at least year. This was the perfect night for this music video. There is or was a TV show on TRT called Ben Aladoluym. This episode features the music of Kharpert. The YouTube version is titled Elazığ Harput Kürsübaşı Geceleri.
The music sounds very familiar in the melodic parts and less so in the vocal chants which sounds more Turkish than Armenian. Of course, perception is all in the ears of the beholder. The first song they perform is Elazığ Uzun Çarşı. Darn if doesn’t sound a lot like Hele Hele that we attribute to Dikranagerd.
The video features Mehmet Şerif Çeçen on the clarinet. He plays a style of the clarinet that is very similar to the style the Armenian kef. Almost all of the important clarinet players in Turkey are Roma. I do not believe Mehmet Şerif is Roma. I am not sure if he is Turkish or Kurdish. I am, however, sure that he is very good especially in the music of the region. A Facebook friend from one of the villages of Kharpert informed me when Mehmet passed away a few years ago. I wish I might have met him. Here is an excellent video of him playing with the Harput Senfoni.
The fellow playing the kanun in the first video is another son of Kharpert: Turgay Coskun. I have actually corresponded with him. He is a pretty friendly fellow which is definitely reflected in his on-stage persona. He is featured in a wonderful video of him leading a group playing music from Kerkuk that are also, from what I can gather, popular in modern day Kharpert. (Someone more knowledgeable than I will have to enlighten me). As far as I can tell, the 10/8 songs are popular in both cities. Turgay sings a signature song of his, Kaladan Kalaya Şahin Uçurdum, on this clip as well.
I ended the evening watching videos featuring or related to Ara Dinkjian. The first was Ağladıkça based on Ara’s song Picture sung by the late Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya whose wife wrote the words. The second was another composition of Ara’s, Anna TolYa and Homecoming, performed with the NY Gypsy All Stars at Princeton in 2017. I wrote the following on Facebook about Ara:
Playing at a high level is certainly admirable, composing exceptionally touching and memorable pieces is even more impressive. Doing both... well that is Ara Dinkjian.
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