Şerif İçli (read Turkish version here)
Şerif İçli
Şerif İçli is one of the important figures who participated in the transition from the traditional society culture of Turkish Art Music to the institutional radio structure of the early Republic period. He is a composer and oud player known as the "Golden Oud". His career, rooted in the Beşiktaş Mûsikî Cemiyeti, has been etched in memory with his compositions and performances during the Ankara and Istanbul Radio periods. His radio broadcasts, carried out under the pseudonym "Eşref Kadri" due to legal regulations, and his stage work in venues such as Maxim Casino, provide clues regarding the functioning of the music environment of that era. His compositions and score collection, preserved in the Archive of the Presidency of the TRT Music Directorate, have reached our days as a concrete proof of his artistic legacy.
However, biographical data regarding the artist of this period contain inconsistencies in current sources. Contradictory information is found on fundamental topics such as birth date, father's name, and number of composed works; there is no information in the sources regarding specific recorded album titles, film names, and awards received. Therefore, the materials reached are not enough to confirm every detail of his life on their own; rather, they offer a fragmentary memory and archive trace. It is striking that sources are insufficient regarding the details of the life of the musician known by composition titles such as "Derdimi ummana döktüm" or "Mest oldu", apart from his grave in Feriköy Cemetery and the records in the TRT archive. Determining Şerif İçli's exact position in music history carries the risk of remaining limited due to the limited and contradictory nature of the existing documents.
Biography
Şerif İçli, located at a transition point between the Republic Radio era and the society culture of Turkish Art Music, is considered one of the well-known "Golden Oud" players of his time. İçli's music career was formally shaped by his participation in the Beşiktaş Mûsikî Cemiyeti in 1921; there is no full convergence in sources regarding his birth date; although the majority points to 20 December 1899, some documents highlight 19 December 1899 or 20 December 1900.
The artist, whose composition activities began in 1924, entered Ankara Radio in 1938 and was forced to use the pseudonym "Eşref Kadri" in his broadcasts due to legal regulations valid at that time. İçli, who left his post in Ankara in 1946 and returned to Istanbul, continued his work for a while at Maxim Casino. He started making programs at Istanbul Radio in 1949 and passed away during a rehearsal at Istanbul Radio on 3 February 1956. Şerif İçli's grave is located in Feriköy Cemetery.
The artist is remembered with compositions such as "Derdimi ummana döktüm âsumana inledim", "Ezelden âşinânım ben ezelden hem zebânımsın", "Mest oldu gözlerini gördüğüm akşam", "Günlerce onun lûtfuna ihsânına düştüm" and "Bıkmış gibi gönlüm itiyor aşkı içinden". His works and score collection were kept in the Archive of the Presidency of the TRT Music Directorate after his death. There are continuing uncertainties regarding Şerif İçli in the sources; the number of compositions is expressed with figures varying between approximately 70 and more than 100, and the father's name can vary as Hacı Ahmed Efendi or Hacı Mehmed Efendi. Additionally, although it is stated that he made music for some local films, the names of these films and specific award information given to the artist are not present in the current sources. Specific album titles are also not found in the existing records.
Style and Musical Identity
Şerif İçli is a musician, composer and known "Golden Oud" who is recognized for his journey from society culture to the institutional radio structure during the transition period of Turkish Art Music history. Throughout his career, the artist carrying his Beşiktaş Mûsikî Cemiyeti roots became intertwined with institutional publishing upon entering Ankara Radio in 1938. However, the limited archive data in current sources does not allow for creating a definite and reliable profile regarding İçli's voice character, vocal tone, or interpretation techniques. Therefore, the artist's musical identity is evaluated primarily shaped around the axis of composition and oud playing.
The composition repertoire presents the clearest reflection of İçli's emotional world and aesthetic stance. Work titles such as "Derdimi ummana döktüm âsumana inledim", "Mest oldu gözlerini gördüğüm akşam", "Bıkmış gibi gönlüm itiyor aşkı içinden" show that the artist dealt with themes of intense sorrow, love, and longing belonging to the human inner world. Although these themes show compatibility with the common emotional states in the Turkish Art Music repertoire of that period, details on how the original fabric of the lyrics was performed are not fully present in current sources.
His use of the pseudonym "Eşref Kadri" due to laws during his Ankara Radio duty is an important detail showing how the musical identity was shaped by the legal conditions of the era. The preservation of his compositions and score collection in the Archive of the Presidency of the TRT Music Directorate after his death indicates that the historical importance of his works has been maintained. However, the variation in the number of compositions between 70 and 100 in the sources, the existence of contradictions regarding certain dates and names, and the ambiguity of album records are among the factors that limit making a stylistic analysis of the artist. Although Şerif İçli was an important musician for the radio and casino audience of that era, having limited information about voice and interpretation techniques is the biggest obstacle to drawing a complete stylistic portrait.
Works and Compositions of Şerif İçli
Şerif İçli's works, which place their place in the Turkish Art Music repertoire on the early periods of radio broadcasting and the casino stage, are largely known through the protected scores and recordings in the Archive of the Presidency of the TRT Music Directorate. There are also works composed during the periods when the artist used the pseudonym "Eşref Kadri" at Ankara Radio starting from 1938 in his career. Although there are no specific album titles, commercial publication dates, or film names in the sources, titles such as "Derdimi ummana döktüm âsumana inledim", "Mest oldu gözlerini gördüğüm akşam" and "Bıkmış gibi gönlüm itiyor aşkı içinden" stand out among the works represented by İçli.
İçli, who started his composition career in 1924, has his pieces named "Ezelden âşinânım ben ezelden hem zebânımsın" and "Günlerce onun lûtfuna ihsânına düştüm" recorded as an important part of his musical legacy. These works belonging to the artist's period known as "Golden Oud" passed to the archive after his death. Although direct album information or exact recording dates are not present in the sources, the existence of these compositions and their preservation in the TRT archive are considered among the primary evidence of the musical legacy. Although there are contradictions in the sources of the era, these titles constitute the best-known works of the artist in the field of composition and performance.
Context
Şerif İçli has established his place in music history as a composer and oud player who existed between the traditional society culture after the Ottomans and the institutional radio structure during one of the transition periods of Turkish Art Music history. İçli, who started his career with Beşiktaş Mûsikî Cemiyeti in 1921, witnessed the process of art meeting this new broadcasting environment by serving at Ankara and Istanbul radios in the early radio broadcast years of the Republic. It is stated in the sources that when he was admitted to Ankara Radio in 1938, he used the pseudonym "Eşref Kadri" in his broadcasts due to relevant legal regulations of the period; this detail offers an important historical clue regarding the legal sensitivities on musicians' names during that period.
The artist shaped his career between the dynamics of the casino and radio stage with his competence known by the nickname "Golden Oud" during his time. His return to Istanbul in 1946 and his work at Maxim Casino, along with his programs at Istanbul Radio in 1949, made him one of the names that left a mark on the radio age. The fact that his compositions and score collection are kept in the Archive of the Presidency of the TRT Music Directorate after his death shows that his musical legacy has been recorded in the institutional memory. However, the existence of contradictions regarding biographical data such as birth date, father's name and total composition number in the current sources requires keeping in mind the uncertainty in historical records regarding unclear points about the artist's personal life. Nevertheless, his compiled works and role in radio processes are among the important elements that determine his place in the history of institutional publishing of Turkish Art Music.
Legacy and Historical Traces
Şerif İçli has taken his place in the memory of music history as a composer and oud player who took on the role of a bridge in the transition process of Turkish Art Music from traditional society culture to the Republic Radio era. However, when current documents and sources are examined, a situation is observed that makes it difficult to draw a clear profile, as there are significant gaps and contradictions regarding the artist's biographical data and work records. The variability of birth date (1899 or 1900) and composition number between sources paints a picture far from biographical certainty.
Despite this, his most concrete legacy is that his works and score collection were kept safe in the Archive of the Presidency of the TRT Music Directorate after his death. His use of the pseudonym "Eşref Kadri" due to legal regulations during the Ankara Radio years carries the nature of an interesting historical note regarding the legal effects of early period radio broadcasting on musicians. While being called by the nickname "Golden Oud" throughout the period indicates that he was an artist known for his competence in oud performance; his work on platforms such as Maxim Casino and Istanbul Radio shows that he was located at the intersection point of the casino culture of that period and the institutional radio structure.
The lack of reliable source information regarding details such as specific album records, specific film names and personal awards reveals that the artist's memory has been passed down from generation to generation largely through oral history, archive documents and radio broadcasts. İçli, who lies in Feriköy Cemetery, remains as a voice of the era whose biographical details are waiting to be completed but who has reached our days with scores preserved in the Turkish music archive and publications witnessing the period, and which needs further clarification with archive work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Şerif İçli and what is his professional identity? Şerif İçli is an important figure who participated in the transition from the traditional society culture of Turkish Art Music to the institutional radio structure of the early Republic period. He served as a composer and oud player and was known as the "Golden Oud".
Which works are among his best known compositions? The artist is known with compositions such as "Derdimi ummana döktüm âsumana inledim", "Mest oldu gözlerini gördüğüm akşam", "Bıkmış gibi gönlüm itiyor aşkı içinden", "Ezelden âşinânım ben ezelden hem zebânımsın" and "Günlerce onun lûtfuna ihsânına düştüm".
Why did the artist have to use a pseudonym? Upon entering Ankara Radio in 1938, he was forced to use the pseudonym "Eşref Kadri" in his broadcasts due to legal regulations valid at that period.
Where are his works and score collection kept today? His compositions and score collection have been preserved in the Archive of the Presidency of the TRT Music Directorate after his death.
Is it possible to reach clear data about his birth date and biographical information? No, biographical data contain inconsistencies in current sources. Although the majority points to 20 December 1899 regarding the birth date, some documents highlight 19 December 1899 or 20 December 1900. Additionally, the father's name can vary as Hacı Ahmed Efendi or Hacı Mehmed Efendi.
Are there recorded album or film music records? Specific album titles, commercial publication dates or film names are not found in the sources. Also, there is no information in the sources regarding specific awards given to the artist.