Feyzullah Çinar

Traditional music is an umbrella term used in the mid–20th century by folklorists and ethnomusicologists to denote community-rooted, orally transmitted repertoires tied to social ritual, work, celebration, and storytelling. Unlike commercial pop or art-music traditions, traditional music is typically learned by ear, varies regionally, and evolves slowly through communal participation. It often features modal melodies, cyclic rhythms, heterophony or unison singing, and indigenous instruments whose timbres are integral to local identity. Lyrics tend to preserve language, history, and collective memory. While the musical practices themselves can be ancient, the phrase “traditional music” emerged to replace earlier, narrower or colonial framings like “folk” or “ethnic” music, foregrounding continuity, locality, and living practice rather than exoticism.

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.