Migration, Memory, and Musical Expression. Musical Traditions from Central Eastern Anatolia in Turkey, Berlin, and Paris

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The research project "Migration, Memory and Musical Expression" focuses on music traditions in central eastern Anatolia and their changes during the past decades. Beyond this concrete aim, however, it is intended as a pioneering study on music in Anatolia in general: On the one hand, it aims to question the relevance of ethnic categories for music. On the other hand, the project for the first time applies methods of Historical Ethnomusicology on folk music in Anatolia. By dealing with the history of central eastern Anatolia over the past 100 years, it will further investigate the impact of experiences of violence on music traditions. As a first step an overview on music traditions will be achieved, both in the region itself and among migrants abroad, both by male and female musicians. Five main focus regions of this research include: 1) Sivas-Koçgiri; 2) Malatya-Arguvan; 3) Tunceli; 4) northern Bingöl; 5) Muş-Varto, Erzurum-Hınıs. A second focus of the research lies on the question, to what extent ethnic and religious categories correlate with musical traditions. Identity discourses with their historical development over the past decades will be investigated and, as part of them, consequences of historical experiences of violence during local rebellions (Koçgiri 1921, Şey Said 1925, Dersim 1937, Dersim-Bingöl 1994). Can any effect of these experiences on music life be proved, e.g. a growing importance of laments or changes of religious music? Eventually, effects of urbanisation in the region, abandonment of villages and migration to Turkish or European cities, on musical traditions will be investigated, with a focus on migrants in Istanbul, Berlin, and Paris: changing performance practice, circumstances for musical performances, effects of medialisation, changing musical education. Throughout the project, a focus will be laid on the changing social roles of women and their effects on female musicians. To what extend did the urbanisation, the migration to Turkish and European cities, and new political discourses offered women new opportunities to learn and perform music? Main method for this project is multi-sited fieldwork and semi-structured interviews, to be conducted by two researchers together, a male ethnomusicologist and a female anthropologist. While the ethnomusicologist is primarily searching for information concerning music and music life, the anthropologist will analyse the position of the musicians within social and identity discourses. The description of historical changes of musical traditions will be based mainly on the analysis of recent and historical recordings. In general, the project intends to open a way for a historical understanding of Anatolian music beyond ethnic and religious categories. Only with this historical approach based on musical analysis rather than on nationalism might in future eventually open a way to connect the narratives of Anatolian folk music with that of Ottoman-Turkish art music history.