Asik Mahzuni Serif
Encyclopedia
Aşık Mahzuni Şerif also known as Mahsuni Şerif, was a folk musician, ashik
, composer, poet, and author from Turkey
.
Mahzuni Şerif was born in Berçenek village of Afşin
, Kahramanmaraş
, Turkey
in 1940. The word Aşık preceding his name is a title used to indicate his position as a respected musician
, but also indicates his affiliation with the Alevi
variety of Shi'a Islam
.
He became one of Turkey's best-known musical interpreters, and brought strong intellectual and social elements into Turkish folk music
and folk poetry. He died on 17 May 2002 in Porz
, Köln
, Germany
, four days after his arrival for medical care about his heart problems.
His writings become more widely known.
Made my mind go foolish
By hitting it on the stones
I looked for my dear fellow
By asking and asking to all
Some light out, some go out
Some get up, some get down
The palaces turn into ruins
Enduring to all
Enter Mahzuni into the friend’s affection
Snow fell on the mountain of friends
My youth in my life’s period
Is wounded all
I shall not spend it with false words
I may not execute myself
Because of my conscience
The tears drop into myself
How hard is the parch stone
I may not see the bird in the Erciyes Mountain
Because it’s blind-eyed
I have no strength besides
I planted crops but could not harvest them
The rulers decided on the order when I’m faultless
I cannot leave the friend, Mahzuni
Ashik
An Ashik is a mystic troubadour or traveling bard, in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran who sings and plays the saz, a form of lute. Ashiks' songs are semi-improvised around common bases....
, composer, poet, and author from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Mahzuni Şerif was born in Berçenek village of Afşin
Afsin
Afşin is a town and district of Kahramanmaraş Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey.The town of Afşin had a population of roughly 120,000 in 2011. Its economy consists mainly of agriculture although in recent years the industry has been developing slowly.Two of the biggest villages that...
, Kahramanmaraş
Kahramanmaras
-Industry:Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş, İskur, Arsan and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in 1940. The word Aşık preceding his name is a title used to indicate his position as a respected musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, but also indicates his affiliation with the Alevi
Alevi
The Alevi are a religious and cultural community, primarily in Turkey, constituting probably more than 15 million people....
variety of Shi'a Islam
Shi'a Islam
Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
.
He became one of Turkey's best-known musical interpreters, and brought strong intellectual and social elements into Turkish folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and folk poetry. He died on 17 May 2002 in Porz
Porz
Porz is a city district or Stadtbezirk of Cologne, Germany. It is situated on the right side of the Rhine in the south-east of the city...
, Köln
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, four days after his arrival for medical care about his heart problems.
Chronology
- 1950: He finished primary school in Berçenek and continues Elbistan Alembey village in KahramanmaraşKahramanmaras-Industry:Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş, İskur, Arsan and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city...
, where he learns to read and write in old Turkish languageTurkish languageTurkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
.
- 1957: He visited MersinMersin-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
Astsubay school (military school).
- 1960: He started AnkaraAnkaraAnkara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
technique military school but was discarded due to undisciplinary actions.
- 1961 From this time forward he starts producing music cassettes and LPGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s.
His writings become more widely known.
- 1972: His house in GaziantepGaziantepGaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
was set in fire and his entire archive was burned.
- 1989-1991: Aşık Mahzuni was chosen head of Halk Ozanları Derneği (Association of Turkish ashiks).
- 1997: He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and he was examined in UlmUlmUlm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
- 1998: He becomes proprietor of 58 cassettes and 8 books. In several international countries his music was covered in other languages.
- 2001: He was accused by the DGM (Turkey's State Security Court) of one of his sayings. However no penalty was attributed thereafter.
- 2001: In the late 2001 he has suffered from heart problems and a heart attack.
- 2002: He died in KölnKOLNKOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
while under medical supervision for 4 days.
Asking and Asking
Asking and Asking____Made my mind go foolish
By hitting it on the stones
I looked for my dear fellow
By asking and asking to all
Some light out, some go out
Some get up, some get down
The palaces turn into ruins
Enduring to all
Enter Mahzuni into the friend’s affection
Snow fell on the mountain of friends
My youth in my life’s period
Is wounded all
The Order of this Earth
The order of this earth is not smoothI shall not spend it with false words
I may not execute myself
Because of my conscience
The tears drop into myself
How hard is the parch stone
I may not see the bird in the Erciyes Mountain
Because it’s blind-eyed
I have no strength besides
I planted crops but could not harvest them
The rulers decided on the order when I’m faultless
I cannot leave the friend, Mahzuni
External links
- Mahzuni Şerif on Turkuler.com
- www.turkudostlari.net/search.asp?a=1130&x=1 List of his songs with links to the lyrics