Mazlum Çimen (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Mazlum Çimen
In the sonic world of Turkey's music and cinema, Mazlum Çimen is one of the most important names who has uniqueized the legacy created by his father Nesimi Çimen with his own artistic language. The discipline acquired at the Istanbul State Conservatory Ballet Department nurtured him not only as a musician but also as a ballet artist and actor; this versatility created a unique synthesis in his composition.
Losing his father in the Sivas Massacre in 1993 became an emotional and thematic breaking point in his artistic life. This trauma added deep sorrow and resistance to his compositions, strengthening the imprint left in memory by music with pieces like "Sen Benden Gittin Gideli". With numerous awards received in cinema and series music, particularly in projects like "Nokta", "Gönlümdeki Köşk Olmasa", and "Soğuk Geceler", he has been recognized as a composer who adds value to the sound design of Turkish cinema history.
Çimen, who composed for the roots of Anatolian literature such as "Mem û Zîn", continues his productions today through the "Çimen Müzik" company he established with his son Saki Çimen. With both his albums contributing to the classical folk music archive and his music accompanying the visual world of modern cinema, Mazlum Çimen has solidified his place in the music world by building a bridge between different areas of art.
Biography
Mazlum Çimen, born in June 1958 in Sevdilli Village, attached to the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş, is the son of the famous Turkish folk music artist Nesimi Çimen. The artist began his musical journey by studying for four years in the Violin department at Istanbul State Conservatory, but later transferred to the Ballet department. Çimen, who graduated from the Ballet Department in 1981, stepped into his career at Istanbul State Opera and Ballet.
Maintaining the balance between musical productions and stage arts, Çimen took on the roles of composition and choreography for the Diyarbakır State Theatre's "Yunus Emre" play in 1989. At the beginning of the 1990s, he collaborated with Levent Güner to publish the "Eski Bir Sevda" album and composed the music for the "Mem û Zîn" film. Although the publication date of the album varies in sources between 1991, 1992 or 1994, these works are considered one of the important turning points in the artist's discography.
The year 1993 was a tragic turning point in Çimen's life both personally and artistically. His song "Sen Benden Gittin Gideli", composed after the death of his father Nesimi Çimen in the Sivas Massacre, is a musical reflection of this loss. After this event, Çimen focused on film music and became one of the prominent sounds of Turkish cinema. With the music he composed for the "Nokta" film published in 2008, he received awards from three different festivals: Montpellier, Golden Orange, and Golden Butterfly. Additionally, he won Best Music awards from prestigious festivals such as Golden Orange and Golden Butterfly with the films "Soğuk Geceler" in 1995 and "Gönlümdeki Köşk Olmasa" in 2002.
The artist's career was not limited to composition only; he started acting in cinema films from 1977 onwards and appeared as an actor in many productions from "Hababam Sınıfı Güle Güle" to the "Çukur" series. Mazlum Çimen, who established the "Çimen Müzik" company with his son Saki Çimen in 2009, continues the family tradition with his son Saki also being a pianist. Although there are inconsistencies regarding album publication years and some award dates in sources, Mazlum Çimen continues his career as a versatile artist who brings together Turkish Folk Music, classical ballet, and film music disciplines.
Style and Musical Language
Mazlum Çimen has a musical stance that shapes the essence of his art with a multidisciplinary approach, combining stage practice with composition. His graduation from Istanbul State Conservatory Ballet Department and his long-term duty at Istanbul State Opera and Ballet have given his understanding of musicality an internalized language of rhythm and movement. Çimen, who gathers Turkish Folk Music, film music, and classical ballet disciplines under a single roof, uses melodies not just as a melody but as a visual and narrative tool. This integrated structure shows itself especially in the musical adaptations of works with literary depth such as *Mem û Zîn*.
His emotional world maintains a tight bond with family memories and musical reflections of social events. Losing his father Nesimi Çimen in the Sivas Massacre in 1993 became a breaking point in his composition career; in works like *Sen Benden Gittin Gideli*, the sorrow of this loss and memorial themes were processed with deep melancholy. Most of the stories told are based on the ancient cultural codes of Anatolia; as seen in the *Eski Bir Sevda* and *Hanımın Çiftliği* soundtracks, he combines local melodies with cinematic tones to establish a strong emotional bond with the viewer. His success in the field of film music (productions such as *Nokta*, *Gönlümdeki Köşk Olmasa*, *Çukur*) is evidence of his ability to position music not just as an accompanying element but as a complementary part of the story.
Although there are differences in sources regarding album publication years and exact dates of some awards, the fact that the artist has won numerous Golden Orange and Golden Butterfly awards paints a clear picture regarding the quality and impact power of his musical production. The *Çimen Müzik* umbrella established with his son Saki Çimen ensures the continuity of this production and the transfer of heritage. Mazlum Çimen's musical personality is defined by transforming the folk music heritage inherited from his father into a unique and multi-layered composition identity by combining it with his own stage disciplines. In this respect, he is one of the rare versatile artists who brings together local and universal criteria on the Turkish music scene, placing storytelling at the center of music.
Songs and Outstanding Works
Mazlum Çimen's musical legacy is interwoven with his composition identity as well as songwriting and film music composition. Titles that stand out among the works appearing in the artist's discography and having representative nature are "Sen Benden Gittin Gideli", "Eski Bir Sevda", and "Mem û Zîn". These pieces contain moments where personal and social traumas are reflected in music, such as "Sen Benden Gittin Gideli" composed after the death of his father Nesimi Çimen in the Sivas Massacre, as well as his individual studies. "Eski Bir Sevda", recorded in collaboration with Levent Güner between 1991/1992, has gone down in records as one of the important stops in the artist's transition between folk music and film music. Additionally, the "Mem û Zîn" project, fed by Kurdish/Anatolian folk literature, stands out with both the film music work of the same name and its album with publication years specified in different sources between 1992 and 1996.
Çimen's work was not limited only to studio recordings; he reached a wide audience through cinema and series music. The original film music album published for the film "Nokta" is among the artist's award-winning works. Similarly, the soundtrack work prepared for the series "Hanımın Çiftliği" in 2012, and "Feryadı İsyanım" in 2002 are important points in his discography. With the album "Usta Malı (Madımak 25. Yıl)" published in 2018, he continued to preserve the traces of his father and the era in music. Although there are inconsistencies in sources regarding album publication years (for example 1990/1991 for "Eski Bir Sevda" or 1992/1994/1996 for "Mem û Zîn"), it is seen that these works are important references in defining the artist's place in his career and versatile composer identity.
Context
Mazlum Çimen stands out as a versatile composer and artist located at the intersection points of different disciplines of art in Turkish music history. Born in 1958 in Sevdilli Village, Kahramanmaraş Elbistan, one of the most important elements shaping Çimen's musical identity is the legacy of his father and one of the leading names of Turkish folk music, Nesimi Çimen. Losing his father in the 1993 Sivas Massacre played a decisive role in the transformation of themes in the artist's music and the emergence of deep works like "Sen Benden Gittin Gideli". This loss caused a tragic tone to settle in the language the composer used when dealing with the social and emotional stories of Anatolia.
Çimen's technical background was shaped by his violin and ballet education at Istanbul State Conservatory and the period he spent on state theatre and opera stages. Çimen, who worked at Istanbul State Opera and Ballet in the Ballet Department from which he graduated in 1981, built a bridge between theatre and ballet music and composition, demonstrating an approach that reflects the aesthetics of visual arts to music. His taking over the music and choreography of the "Yunus Emre" play at Diyarbakır State Theatre in 1989 is an early example showing the place of these disciplines in the artist's production.
The album "Eski Bir Sevda" and the "Mem û Zîn" project, produced with Levent Güner in the early 1990s, are accepted as entry points for Çimen into Turkish folk music and the cinema world. Especially the "Mem û Zîn" project dealing with the deep stories of Anatolia is an important cultural work where Kurdish and Anatolian folk literature meet with music and it has attracted attention in various international platforms, including a special encouragement award from the Swiss People's Jury. In the field of cinema music, Çimen started to be recognized with award-winning compositions in productions like "Soğuk Geceler" and "Nokta" from the mid-1990s onwards.
Çimen, who was deemed worthy of Best Music awards from Turkey's leading cinema festivals such as 4 Golden Orange and 2 Golden Butterfly, has left an imprint that will last for generations in this field. Focusing on film and series music, the artist has a wide musical range extending from popular productions like "Çukur" and "Hanımın Çiftliği" to cinema films like "Nokta" and "Son Cellat". In recent years, the "Çimen Müzik" company established with his son Saki Çimen is a sign of the family's continuing commitment to music production. With his multidisciplinary background and awards obtained in the field of film music, Mazlum Çimen has taken his place as an original composer carrying the spirit of his father Nesimi Çimen in the development processes of Turkish cinema and television music history.
Legacy
Mazlum Çimen's artistic legacy is located at the intersection points of personal sorrow and cinematic narrative. The loss of his father Nesimi Çimen in the Sivas Massacre was a turning point that deeply shaped Çimen's musical identity. Transforming this loss into music with compositions like "Sen Benden Gittin Gideli" has established him in Anatolia's collective memory as both a father figure and the voice of losses. Therefore, his legacy is fed not only by the compositions he produced but also by the musical carrying of an intergenerational family story.
His versatile career served as a bridge between different disciplines of the Turkish art world. Graduating from Istanbul State Conservatory Ballet Department and appearing on state opera and theatre stages allowed the meeting of a disciplined technical background with film music and folk music. In the field of cinema music; by designing the sound worlds of films such as "Soğuk Geceler", "Gönlümdeki Köşk Olmasa" and the award-winning production "Nokta", he added a different dimension to Turkish film music. The recognition he received from festivals such as Golden Orange, Golden Butterfly, and Montpellier demonstrates the echo of this interdisciplinary competence in the sector.
The continuation of the musical process and institutional legacy stands out with its transfer from generation to generation through his family. The "Çimen Müzik" company established with his son Saki Çimen is a concrete reflection of the Çimen family's effort to maintain their effectiveness in music production. The legacy of Çimen, who is still alive today, has found its own place in the polyphonic structure of Turkish music across a wide range from classical ballet foundations to modern film scores and joint production established with a child.
Frequently Asked Questions
How was Mazlum Çimen's educational background and his first steps in his career? Born in Sevdilli Village, attached to the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş in 1958, Çimen first received education in the Violin department at Istanbul State Conservatory and then transferred to the Ballet department. After graduating from the Ballet Department in 1981, he stepped into his career at Istanbul State Opera and Ballet.
How did the death of his father affect the artist's musical production? Losing his father Nesimi Çimen in the Sivas Massacre in 1993 was an emotional and thematic breaking point for the artist. This trauma added deep sorrow to his compositions and strengthened the imprint left in memory by music with pieces like "Sen Benden Gittin Gideli".
Which film projects did he receive awards for? He is recognized with awards received particularly in projects like "Nokta", "Soğuk Geceler", and "Gönlümdeki Köşk Olmasa". He received awards from Montpellier, Golden Orange, and Golden Butterfly festivals with the music he composed for the "Nokta" film, while winning Best Music awards from prestigious festivals with other films.
Are there definitive information about publication years of works? No, there are inconsistencies regarding album and project publication years in sources. For example, different dates are specified for the "Eski Bir Sevda" album as 1991, 1992 or 1994, and for the "Mem û Zîn" project between 1992 and 1996. Therefore, instead of exact dates, the turning point nature of the works in the career is emphasized.
How are his musical productions and legacy continued? He established the "Çimen Müzik" company with his son Saki Çimen in 2009. He continues his productions through this company, and the family tradition and commitment to music production is transferred from generation to generation with his son also being a pianist.
What career path did his appearance as an actor in cinema and theatre fields follow? The artist's career was not limited to composition only; he started acting in cinema films from 1977 onwards. He appeared as an actor in many productions from "Hababam Sınıfı Güle Güle" to the "Çukur" series and established a balance between stage arts and composition.