The longing song of the mother with stars falling into her hair

Tugce Celik
"I received the strength in my heart from you
Your picture is a son on the sweater I knitted
I'm waiting for your way, my hair turned grey
All its strings are longing, son.”
(From the Song of Longing for the Son)
Musician Tekin Turan presented the audience with the poem "Son'a Longing Song", written by his mother Fahriye Çelik, which is a response to the poet Nevzat Çelik 's "Dawn Song", which he transformed into verses with the shadows of his life reflected in his soul. The poem is engraved in our memories with the master poet's description of her as "a star has fallen into her hair" and the warning "don't pluck, mother , don't cry".
Composed by Turan, the now 40-year-old "Son's Longing Song" traces the various layers of the human soul created not by defeat, but by hope, resistance, and the struggle for existence. As these layers unfold and diversify, a poignant portrait of Turkey's recent history emerges. Turan, originally from Pülümür, Dersim, explains that being raised by militant women like his mother and sister led to a women-focused approach in his music, and that when the poem was presented to him, he would seclude himself in his studio with excitement. The artist, known for his compositions about children and women, is delighted to bring his poem "Son's Longing Song" to the masses for the first time in a composition years after it was written. On this occasion, we spoke with the artist about his music, inspired by "Son's Longing Song."
How did you develop the process of composing the poem?
We first encountered the master poet Nevzat Çelik through "Şafak Türküsü." It's one of the finest poems composed by Ahmet Kaya. Kaya was an artist who composed excellent compositions for excellent poems and interpreted them with his magnificent voice. He is an undeniably top-tier artist who I also look up to and who is a role model for me. Five years later, heartbroken mother Fahriye Çelik wrote "Oğula Hasret Türküsü" (The Song of Longing for the Son), a response to Nevzat Çelik's "Şafak Türküsü." This poem ended up in the hands of a dear friend. During one of our meetings, my friend handed me the poem and said, "You absolutely must compose this poem." I was deeply moved when he explained that the poem was by Fahriye Çelik and that it was Nevzat Çelik's response to "Şafak Türküsü." I composed the piece and locked myself in the studio for days. After determining the arrangement and instrumentation, I finished the piece and left the studio.
How did your musical journey begin and continue?
My primary field is pharmacology. I worked in the healthcare sector for a long time, but music has always held a significant place in my life. I've been involved with music since childhood. As a child, I played the bağlama and sang folk songs. I took piano and vocal lessons at various music schools in Germany. I performed on stage in various European countries with the band Mahsuni Turan founded in Germany. After completing my film music training, I began composing using this knowledge. I selected poems by Yunus Emre, Pir Sultan Abdal, and other prominent poets of Turkish literature. I began composing works by Nazım Hikmet, Orhan Veli, Cemal Süreya, Sabahattin Ali, Hasan Hüseyin, and many other esteemed poets. I continue to work on arrangements and compositions for these compositions in the music studio I built in the basement of my house.
What is the purpose of your art?
I compose music and sing songs for a more beautiful and livable world. This is my utopia. Criticisms about public governance in Turkey and around the world often point to the inadequate implementation of fundamental principles such as transparency, accountability, participation, the rule of law, the provision of justice, and human rights. Heeding these criticisms and implementing the necessary reforms are crucial for building more just, equitable, and sustainable societies. I also strive to address the challenges faced by the people of my country and the world. I am most influenced by poets and poetry. In my creative process, my goal is to create enduring works of art that retain their value over time, leave a lasting impact on society, and are passed down from generation to generation. Such works constitute an important part of cultural heritage and provide social benefits.
Could you evaluate the relationship between the concept of justice and art and artists?
Art is an important tool in ensuring justice, but the more artistic freedom an artist has, the more they contribute to ensuring justice. Artists can criticize social issues, injustices, and inequalities in their works, depending on their expressive power. Artists bear a responsibility to society in this regard, but when their careers begin to suffer, they are forced to step back. We must also consider how respected our genuine artists are in our country. People want everyone to think like them. They view those who disagree as enemies. An artist must act ethically and contribute to ensuring justice out of their responsibility, but we also need to consider how ethically our artists are treated.
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HE WILL LISTEN BUT WILL NOT REMEMBER HIS OWN POEMPoet Nevzat Çelik said that his mother's process of writing the poem began when he was imprisoned. "My mother's poetry writing journey began when I was imprisoned and sent my poems out in letters. It solidified when the 'Şafak Türküsü' (Dawn Song) received first prize from the Academy Bookstore in 1984 and was widely read. I call it poetry because what she wrote was truly poetry! When you write the lyrics of the songs on a piece of paper and read them, it's immediately clear whether they are lyrics or poems," Çelik said, continuing: "That's why we can consider 'Oğula Uzunlar Türküsü' (Son'a Longing Song) a powerful poem. It tells not only of the tragedies that occurred during the military fascism of September 12, 1980, but also of today. Rather than a mother's passive plea for her children, who were held in prison for years under pressure and torture under the threat of execution, it's a poem that, despite all her pain, exhaustion, and the general despair in society, suggests never giving up on hope and life through powerful imagery. A working woman who was educated until first grade of primary school writes this poem; it's invaluable."
Çelik summarized: “The poem ‘Sonula Hasret Türküsü’ (The Song of Longing for the Son) was very popular as a poem, but until now, no attempt had been made to set it to music. This always surprised me. I was overjoyed when Tekin Turan called me and said he wanted to set the poem to music. It had finally been recognized. I would love for the words, the sound, and the composition to reach a wider audience. When we play it for my mother, who has dementia, she'll love it, but she probably won't remember it's her own poem. We'll remind her, but she'll forget it again. That's life…”
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