Feyzullah Çınar (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Introduction
Feyzullah Çınar, rising from the lands of Çamağa Village, connected to Çamşıhı district of Sivas, is a significant folk poet who brought the social and cultural identity of the Alevi-Bektaşi ashik tradition in the 20th century to modern urban life. Çınar, who started playing the bağlama at age 5, left a vast archive with over 60 works starting from his first record recorded in 1966. Living in the harsh environment of the 60s and 70s, Çınar, who managed to adapt to his own era without losing his traditional values, managed to raise his voice despite the pressures he faced due to his utterances containing social critiques, and even experienced a period of imprisonment.
Çınar, whose music resonated not only in Turkey but also internationally, went to France in 1969 and organized conferences and concerts together with Irene Melikoff. His long-plays published by French Radio Television and UNESCO are among the important records documenting the aspect of Anatolian ashik poetry that reached universal language. Çınar, who traveled around Turkey four times and gave hope to the people, continued the line of Pir Sultan Abdal with words like "Yaralar Beni", "Geldim şu alemi ıslah edeyim" and "Bu yıl bu dağların karı erimez", and remained as an heir who left a mark in folk music literature until 1983.
Biography
Feyzullah Çınar, born in 1937 in Çamağa Village, connected to Çamşıhı district of Sivas, is known as a folk poet descending from Sheikh Ahmet Yesevi. Çınar, who showed interest in music at a very early age, started playing bağlama at five years old and developed his talent along the line of Alevi-Bektaşi Ashik Tradition and Turkish Folk Music. While living in the harsh environment of the 60s and 70s, Çınar, who managed to adapt to urban life without losing his traditional culture, preferred to perform works in the line of Pir Sultan Abdal.
The first important turning point of his career was the first record work realized in 1966. This recording included Agahî Baba's utterance "Fazilet" and Malatyalı Esirî's eulogy to Şah Hüseyin. Çınar, who was sent to prison due to his utterances dealing with themes of social critique, human suffering, reform, and hope, fought the struggle of giving hope to the people by touring Turkey four times. Works like "Yaralar Beni", "Siyah saçlarından hatem yüzlerin", "Bu yıl bu dağların karı erimez", and "Geldim şu alemi ıslah edeyim" are among the prominent examples of the social utterances voiced by the artist.
The artist attracted attention abroad and took his place in international archives. He went to France in 1969, gave conferences together with Irene Melikoff, and organized concerts. Two of his long-plays (Long-Play) published by French Radio Television and Unesco carry the archival value of Çınar's works to the present day. Feyzullah Çınar, who has more than 60 record recordings throughout his career, passed away from life at the age of 46 in 1983. Although details such as a complete discography list and the names of official awards won are not included in the sources, he is remembered as an important figure in Turkish folk music history with the cultural identity he inherited and the sound recordings he left behind.
Style and Interpretation
Feyzullah Çınar stands out as a folk poet who brought the social and cultural identity of Turkish Folk Music and Alevi-Bektaşi Ashik Tradition to modern urban life under the harsh conditions of the 60s and 70s. The artist's musical personality can be defined by his performing works in the line of Pir Sultan Abdal and opening the traditional bağlama art to modernization. Sources indicate that Çınar was imprisoned due to his voicing of social utterances and demonstrated a stance of giving hope to the people even during this process. Although known as a poet descending from Sheikh Ahmet Yesevi, a reliable technical profile regarding vocal and interpretation techniques cannot be formed in current sources.
His repertoire is shaped by works such as "Yaralar Beni", "Siyah saçlarından hatem yüzlerin", "Bu yıl bu dağların karı erimez", and "Geldim şu alemi ıslah edeyim". These pieces contain elements of social critique, human suffering, reform (ıslah), hope, and love, which form the artist's main theme. Çınar, who has over 60 record recordings in total starting from his first record made in 1966, also carried his cultural heritage to the international field with conferences he gave in France with Irene Melikoff and long-plays published by French Radio Television and UNESCO.
His performance style parallels the effort to adapt to urban life without losing his traditional culture. The music of the artist, who combined the social mobility of 20th-century Turkey with the aesthetic codes of the Alevi-Bektaşi tradition, is constructed around a discourse advocating hope and social change. The artist's emotional world is balanced between a resistance manifested with images like "the snow on the mountains not melting" and improvement pursuits like "alem ıslah" (reforming the world).
Songs and Recording Works
Feyzullah Çınar's artistic legacy is based on an intensive production process documented by approximately over 60 record recordings. The first period of recorded works regarding the artist's career corresponds to the year 1966; in the first record made this year, Agahî Baba's utterance "Fazilet" and Malatyalı Esirî's eulogy to Şah Hüseyin are included. Çınar performed works especially in the footsteps of Pir Sultan Abdal along the line of Alevi-Bektaşi Ashik Tradition.
Among the social utterances and compositions voiced by the artist, the titles "Yaralar Beni", "Siyah saçlarından hatem yüzlerin", "Bu yıl bu dağların karı erimez", and "Geldim şu alemi ıslah edeyim" stand out. Works like "Geldim şu alemi ıslah edeyim" come before us as important texts reflecting Çınar's narrative style that gives hope to the people and contains social critique. In these utterances, the themes of human suffering, reform, and hope are treated in a style that modernizes the traditional bağlama art.
The international echoes of his works can be measured by his works in France. Çınar, who went to France in 1969 and organized conferences and concerts with Irene Melikoff, recorded his works with two long-plays (Long-Play) published by French Radio Television and Unesco. However, in current sources, although it is stated that the artist recorded over 60 records in total, it is not possible to reach a complete discography list of these recordings and a detailed content order. Therefore, a precise chronology or album distribution for all of these works is not specified.
Artistic Context and Historical Position
Feyzullah Çınar has taken his place in music history as an important figure bridging the Alevi-Bektaşi Ashik Tradition and Turkish Folk Music's modernization efforts in the second half of the 20th century. The artist, born in 1937 in Çamağa Village, connected to Çamşıhı district of Sivas, started playing bağlama at age 5 and turned his talent into a figure recognized by the Turkey of the 60s and 70s. Especially during this period, his ability to adapt to urban life without losing his traditional culture is one of the fundamental features that separates him from other poets of the period.
The artist's influence in the international field climbed with his visit to France in 1969. The conferences and concerts he organized together with Irene Melikoff come among the important cultural exchanges carrying Anatolian culture to Europe. As a result of these works, two long-play recordings published by French Radio Television and UNESCO are archival works carrying Çınar's voice to the future. His first record was made with a work containing Agahî Baba's utterance "Fazilet" and Malatyalı Esirî's eulogy to Şah Hüseyin in 1966.
Çınar's music is not only an aesthetic expression form but also has a social stance. Pieces like "Yaralar Beni", "Bu yıl bu dağların karı erimez", and "Geldim şu alemi ıslah edeyim" reflect the projections in the line of Pir Sultan Abdal while dealing with themes of human suffering, social critique, and hope. As stated in the sources, his being imprisoned due to voicing such social utterances shows how seriously he took his words and his position in the political atmosphere of the period. His being known as a poet descending from Sheikh Ahmet Yesevi is also one of the factors strengthening his connection to spiritual and cultural tradition.
Although it is not possible to reach a complete discography list in current sources for Feyzullah Çınar, who is known to have recorded over 60 records in total, his recordings after 1966 and international publications play a critical role in preserving his legacy. The traces left by the artist, who passed away at the age of 46 in 1983, giving hope to the people with concerts by touring Turkey four times, have taken their place in the social memory of Turkish folk music history.
Legacy
Feyzullah Çınar left a unique and strong mark in the archives of Turkish folk music and Alevi-Bektaşi ashik tradition. In the harsh socio-political atmosphere of the 60s and 70s, he is among the rare folk poets who could adapt to urban life without losing their traditional culture. Çınar, born in Çamağa Village of Sivas Çamşıhı, got acquainted with the bağlama at age 5 and started his professional music journey by releasing his first record in 1966. The fact that he experienced imprisonment due to his social utterances and critical gaze shows that he was not only a musician but also had a stance of being a witness and voice giver of his time.
The artist's musical legacy has materialized in countless record recordings. Known to have recorded over 60 records throughout his career, Çınar did not remain limited to local audience masses. In 1969, going to France and organizing conferences and concerts with Irene Melikoff is an important milestone in the introduction of the Anatolian folk poet tradition on international platforms. Two long-plays (Long-Play) works published by French Radio Television and UNESCO are among the critical documents carrying archival value even today.
Çınar, who performed works in the line of Pir Sultan Abdal, poured human suffering, hope, and search for reform into music with compositions like "Yaralar Beni", "Bu yıl bu dağların karı erimez", and "Geldim şu alemi ıslah edeyim". The art and archive he left behind when he passed away in 1983 is a cultural heirloom witnessing the social mobility of 20th-century Turkey. The poet known to be from the lineage of Sheikh Ahmet Yesevi continues to live in memories as an important figure who carries bağlama art to the modern listener in a style that does not break from its roots while modernizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Feyzullah Çınar born? The artist was born in 1937 in Çamağa Village, connected to Çamşıhı district of Sivas.
When did he start music and when was his first recording realized? Çınar started playing bağlama at five years old and the first important turning point of his career is the first record work realized in 1966.
What are the artist's prominent works? Utterances like "Yaralar Beni", "Geldim şu alemi ıslah edeyim", "Bu yıl bu dağların karı erimez", and "Siyah saçlarından hatem yüzlerin" are among the prominent examples of the artist's social utterances.
For which works is he known internationally? He went to France in 1969 and organized conferences and concerts together with Irene Melikoff. Two long-plays (Long-Play) works published by French Radio Television and UNESCO ensured that his works took their place in international archives.
Is there a complete discography list and award information available? Although it is stated in current sources that the artist recorded over 60 records in total, it is not possible to reach a complete discography list of these recordings, a detailed content order, and the names of official awards won.
Is there reliable information about vocal and interpretation techniques? Although it is known that he is a poet descending from Sheikh Ahmet Yesevi, a reliable technical profile regarding vocal and interpretation techniques cannot be formed in the sources.