Marem Gökhan Şen

Çerkes müzikleri (Circassian music) refers to the traditional and modern musical practices of the Adyghe/Circassian peoples of the Northwest Caucasus and their large diaspora, especially in Turkey. Its core is dance- and ritual-centered: swift, noble couple dances such as Qafe (Kafe) and shared pan‑Caucasian forms like Lezginka are performed to driving ostinati and asymmetric meters. Signature instruments include the shichepshin (a bowed spike-fiddle used for lyrical, ornamented melodies), pkhachich (wooden clappers that supply the crisp beat), and, from the 19th–20th centuries, the garmon/accordion (Adyghe: pşine), which became the principal dance accompanist. Vocals appear as solo laments, toasts, and narrative songs (often in Adyghe/Kabardian), with melodic modes close to natural/harmonic minor and Dorian and a strong taste for modal cadences and ornamental turns. In diaspora settings (Ottoman/Turkish, Jordanian, Syrian), Circassian music retained core dance identities while absorbing timbres and forms from surrounding traditions. Today it spans village ensembles, state folk orchestras, and studio-produced folk-pop that preserves the dance grammar and characteristic rhythmic lift.

Lezginka is a high‑energy folk dance music tradition of the North Caucasus, most closely associated with the Lezgins of Dagestan (Russia) but performed widely by many Caucasian peoples, from Chechens and Avars to Circassians and Azeris. Musically, Lezginka pieces are fast, driving, and dance‑forward, commonly in a brisk compound (6/8) or tight duple (2/4) meter with emphatic percussion patterns. Melodies are typically short, modal, and highly rhythmic, often played on piercing double‑reed oboes (zurna/surna), accompanied by big frame or kettle drums (nagara/dhol) and the regional garmon (a local accordion). The sound is designed to propel virtuosic choreography: explosive, eagle‑like male steps and gliding, poised female lines. Beyond village and wedding contexts, Lezginka became a showpiece in stage folk ensembles and even classical and ballet repertories, where orchestrated “Lezghinka” numbers popularized the style for international audiences.