Arabesque or Arabesk is a genre termed so by Turkish musicologists for Arabic-style music created in Turkey. The so-called ‘arabesque’ music in Turkey has been the most popular musical genre since late 1960s. Although melodies and rhythms are predominantly Arabic-pop influenced, it also draws ideas from other aspects of Middle Eastern music including Bağlama music, Turkish forms of oriental dance and Ottoman classical music.
BAGLAMA
Bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia. It is sometimes referred to as the saz. The term saz is mainly used to refer to a family of plucked string instruments, long-necked lutes used in Ottoman classical music, Turkish folk music, Kurdish music.
No wonder I found the word saz to be quite familiar. They're both the same!!
The most commonly used string folk instrument in Turkey, the baglama has seven strings divided into courses of two, two and three.
The different types of Baglama Family:
It can be tuned in various ways and takes different names according to region and size: Bağlama, Divan Sazı, Bozuk, Çöğür, Kopuz Irızva, Cura, Tambura, etc. The cura is the smallest member of the bağlama family: larger than the cura is the tambura, tuned an octave lower. The Divan sazı, the largest instrument in the family, is tuned one octave lower still.
The bağlama is believed to be a synthesis of historical musical instruments in Central Asia and pre-Turkish Anatolia. Bağlama literally translates as "something that is tied up", probably a reference to the tied-on frets of the instrument.
Smallest and Largest Baglama
CONTINUE: ARABESQUE MUSIC
A very small percentage of Arabesk is exclusively instrumental. As the year goes by, the sound grew more dancey and upbeat.
Founder of this genre: Orhan Gencebay
One of the most prolific and commercially successful is İbrahim Tatlıses.
İbrahim Tatlıses is a singer of mixed Arab and Kurdish background born in the town of Şanlıurfa in Turkey.
Why is he the most profilic artist in Turkey's history?
He broke all sales records in Turkey in 1978 and continues to turn out popular music to this day. Thus, he made a major change to Turkey's music industry. His music basically focused on traditional folk music played on indigenous instruments. Tatlises, with no doubt is great singer and he can easily high pitch his vocal from three to five musical scales. He has maintained popularity in the Arabesk scene in recent years through remixing his tracks into dance friendly club tracks.
These are some of his marvelous works!
I found this one below interesting as the beginning reminds me of a particular malay song which I couldn't recall the title.
A more upbeat music. Quite traditional yet has an essence of modernity (does that word even exist?)
Creative use of instruments! Very hindi though but folky (hahaha folky!)
Another artist that is popular with Arabesque Music:
Bülent Ersoy
She has a very controversy history in which she undergo an operation for a sex change! But its not something that I would want to elabourate on, so I'll just leave you with her works. This shemale is very famous for arabesque music. And to me, her music is much more better than Tatlises as he/she works are more purer to arabesque and not so much on modern and pop.
Conclusion: After listening to various songs/music by different artist, I can say that arabesque music tends to use ALOT of string instruments! And its usually heavy and very hindi-ish.
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