An analysis of İbrahim Erkal's works in terms of cultural elements and values education

This study was conducted to analyze the cultural elements present in the oral and written works of Turkish artist İbrahim Erkal and to identify expressions that could serve as components of values education. Within this framework, qualitative research and survey methods were employed, utilizing document analysis and descriptive analysis techniques. The artist's 15 published albums contain a total of 173 musical works, comprising 149 original and 21 non-original compositions. His poetry collection titled "Ben Bu Şöhreti Sevmedim" (I Did Not Love This Fame) includes 44 original poems. In the research, all 214 works were analyzed, and 754 examples of Erzurum dialect were identified. The study examining all these works was designed in three dimensions. In the first dimension, İbrahim Erkal's life, musical career, and the artist's influence on Turkish music and popular culture were examined. Additionally, a general evaluation was conducted on the themes, lyrical content, and musical style in Erkal's works. In the second dimension, the cultural elements reflected in İbrahim Erkal's works were analyzed based on Tomalin and Stempleski's (1993) classification of culture. Focus was placed on Turkish musical tradition, Anatolian culture, the language used and regional dialect characteristics, and other cultural elements, with analyses presented on how these elements were processed and interpreted. In the third dimension, the values represented and transmitted in the artist's works were categorized according to Schwartz's (1992) basic values and sub-values obtained through the values scale. As a result of the research, it was observed that İbrahim Erkal's works are not merely musical reflections but significantly reflect Turkish cultural heritage and values. It was concluded that the themes, language and regional dialect features, musical style, Turkish musical tradition, and Anatolian cultural elements in his works are important components reflecting the lifestyle, values, and identity of Turkish society.