Examination of İlhami Demir's works in the Kars minstrelsy tradition

Music is the harmonious sounds that humans transmit to nature. While sound is a natural phenomenon, music is a branch of art that aims to create a work of art with systematic study and effort, based on these natural and effective events. Minstrelsy culture is at the forefront of the artistic tradition that the Turkish nation has continued for thousands of years, extending from Central Asia to the present day. Minstrelsy is a branch of folk literature in which music and literature are combined. The tradition of minstrelsy, one of the most important dynamics that form Turkish culture, was continued after the Turks settled in Anatolia. Minstrelsy is not a tradition seen only in Central Asia or Anatolia, but is an oral folk music performed in the South Caucasus and Iran, usually accompanied by stringed musical instruments. The tradition of minstrelsy in Anatolia began to gain importance after the 13th century, and before Islam, bards were replaced by minstrelsy, and kopuz was replaced by stringed musical instruments known as "bağlama, çöğür, cura, kara ders". One of the regions where this tradition has been continued for hundreds of years in Anatolia is the Erzurum-Kars-Ardahan basin. Âşık İlhami Demir, one of the most important names of the Kars minstrel tradition, was born in the 20th century. He became one of the names that left his mark on the century. He produced works in different genres of folk music and folk literature and sang them in his poems. He is one of the most important names not only in the Kars minstrelsy tradition but also in the Anatolian tradition. İlhami Demir, who belongs to the Âşık Şenlik school, is the apprentice of Âşık Gülistan. The minstrel, who used many different maqams in his works, also released an album in 1976. The aim of this research is to reveal the life and works of Minstrel İlhami Demir along with the Kars minstrel tradition. In the study, the descriptive research method used in social sciences was used, audio recordings, written sources and photographs were carefully examined and observation and data collection techniques were used. As a result of the literature review about Âşık İlhami Demir, it was determined that there is no independent study on his life and works. Since there is limited information about Âşık İlhami Demir's life, poems and notes, his works will be brought to the literature with this study. In this respect, this study is extremely important in terms of shedding light and guiding future studies.