Abuzer Karakoç

Karadeniz folk is the regional folk music of Turkey’s eastern Black Sea (Karadeniz) coast, associated with Laz, Hemshin, Pontic Greek (Romeika-speaking), and Turkish communities. It is typified by the piercing, agile sound of the kemençe (Pontic lyra) and the droning tulum (Black Sea bagpipe), propulsive asymmetric dance meters (especially the horon in 7/16), and call-and-response vocals. Melodies often draw on Anatolian/Turkic and wider maqam-based modal practices, while lyrics evoke seafaring, mountain life, migration, tea and hazelnut harvests, and fervent love. In modern practice, traditional ensembles are frequently joined by guitar, bass, and drum set, producing a lively folk-rock crossover that retains the region’s characteristic rhythmic lift and ornamented melodic style.

Uzun hava (literally “long air”) is a free‑meter vocal style in Turkish folk music characterized by unmeasured phrasing, wide melodic ambitus, and intensely melismatic ornamentation. Unlike the rhythmic, dance‑oriented kırık hava (“broken air”), uzun hava is usûlsüz (without a fixed beat), allowing singers to stretch lines for expressive effect. The melodies are modal, drawing on Anatolian ayak/modal practice and, regionally, on makam sensibilities with microtonal inflections. Performances are often a cappella or lightly accompanied by bağlama family instruments (bağlama, divan saz, cura) and, in some regions, by reed and wind timbres such as mey, kaval, or zurna providing drones or sustained tones. Texts typically voice longing, separation, exile (gurbet), grief, or devotional reflection. Regional subtypes include bozlak (Central Anatolia), hoyrat (Southeast/Arab‑Turkic borderlands), maya, and various local “gurbet havası,” each with their own melodic turns and dialectal text styles.

Alevi folk music (Alevi–Bektaşi music) is the devotional and vernacular song tradition of the Alevi communities of Anatolia. It is centered on the bağlama (saz) and the sung poetry of the âşık/ozan lineage, conveying mystical, ethical, and communal teachings. Core forms include deyiş and nefes (didactic, mystical hymns), düvaz-ı imam (praise of the Twelve Imams), and semah (songs accompanying the ritual turning/dance). Melodies often draw on folk-modal practice related to the Turkish makam world, while rhythm favors both free-meter recitation and asymmetrical “aksak” cycles such as 5/8, 7/8, and 9/8. The performance practice is intimate and participatory, with a zakir (lead singer/bağlama player) guiding congregational response during the cem ritual.