Âşik Nesimi Çimen and two-stringed cura playing in The Anatolian Alevi-Bektashi Ashik tradition

ABSTRACT People were particularly interested in music and literature in Anatolia in the prehistoric times and afterwards. Such that there were communities that expressed, conveyed and spread their religious and cultural values through these two forms of arts. Anatolian Alevi-Bektashi people are one of these rare communities. In this culture, singing accompanied with an instrument is a very old and rooted tradition. It has been a part of the belief, rather than a folkloric structuring. Producers and carriers of lyrics and music, ashiks played an important part in sustaining this belief and culture and transmitting it to the future generations. Within the general Anatolian ashik tradition, Alevi-Bektashi ashik tradition was structured with its own specific understanding. The trinity of the word, instrument and ashik depicting the belief was accepted to be sacred. Baglama, the indispensable sacred instrument of Alevi-Bektashi cem ceremonies vary in Anatolia with its two-string and three-string forms. The two-string form is the oldest type of baglama that carried Alevi-Bektashi belief, philosophy from the past to our day, through its local names including ırızva and ruzba. The two-string baglama (cura) that is played with the chord known as ruzba order is used in semah and deyiş (hymn) performances in certain regions with high Alevi-Bektaşi concentration such as Kahramanmaraş-Elbistan, Malatya-Arguvan. Âşık Nesimi Çimen played a significant part in promoting the two-string balgama that stayed rather in the local level with the performance by local ashiks and zakirs. Nesimi not only provided Anatolia and particularly Alevi culture with a great service through his two-string cura playing, but also prevented this instrument from falling into oblivion. Analyzing Anatolian ashik tradition, Alevi-Bektashi ashik tradition, two-string instrument in the context of baglama and and Nesimi Çimen's two-string cura playing through exemplary works, our study consists of literature survey, notating and interviews. Keywords: Ashik Tradition, Alevi-Bektashi Music, Nesimi Çimen, Nesimi's instrument, Two-String cura (Ruzba, Irızva), Şelpe Technique.