Instruments in the context of cultural syncretism: The case of "Chaglama"

In this master thesis, the concept of cultural syncretism is centered and the current reflections of this concept in the instruments and the results of the research on 'The Çağlama' which is a syncretic instrument are presented. In the study, field research methods and techniques, ethnographic description and basic resources related to the field are examined; the interviews were conducted with the producers, performers of the instrument, which is the focus of the thesis. In addition, observations have been made on the records obtained from the environments where such instruments are performed today and the reasons for this change in the instruments have been systematically evaluated and the results have been put forward. Under the influence of globalization, cultural elements have gained a local and/or empirical visibility and it is seen that cultural productions come to the fore with a syncretic structure and definition. The concept of syncretism, which is also referred to as 'reconciliation in our language, has been used in the fields of ecology, hybridization, musicology and other social sciences. One of the main applications in which syncretic elements gain visibility in music is the bringing together of instruments from different cultures into a single instrument. One of the syncretic instruments that have emerged as a result of these practices is 'The Çağlama' which is the focus of this study and which has emerged as a result of the idea of combining the guitar and the bağlama. The Çağlama is a bridge between traditional and modern in terms of its structural features and performance. In this study, it has been seen that individuals identified as producers of syncretic instruments also stand out with their performer identities. These producers/performers in syncretic instruments; It is seen that they emphasize the parameters such as sound possibilities, harmonization of different music practices, practical benefits in the use of syncretic instruments, blending of different music cultures, bringing together the track mass in syncretic music genres. In addition, the synthesis of local and global music genres, the search for new timbre, the new musician strategies and caste clarification, national and/or international arena through the introduction of new musical styles, cultural and musical practices continue to hybridize are among the important findings of this research. Thanks to the technological possibilities of our age, the introduction of syncretic instrument called The Çağlama, on the road from local elements to global contexts, is seen as a contribution to international music events.