Zaza music in terms of social memory and cultural identity

Anatolia is a rich geography where cultural diversity and communities live together. In this study, the musical patterns ingrained in the social memory of the Zaza community living in the Bingöl, Elazığ, Tunceli, Adıyaman, Urfa, Diyarbakır and Sivas regions in the east of Turkey, in an ethnic and cultural context, were examined and interpreted specifically for Diyarbakır. The research deals with issues such as the history of Zazas, their cultural functions and the socio-cultural functional categorization of music within Zaza culture, Zaza dance styles in terms of structural and choreographic aspects, structural analysis of Zaza music, the instruments used and its maqam-rhythmic structure. In the research, the data collected through field studies on the cultural and musical structure of the Zaza society within the ethnomusicological framework were interpreted within the framework of theoretical methodology, and by examining the findings obtained through the ethnographic research model and semi-structured interviews, determinations were made on Zaza culture and music in an ethnic context. The main objectives of the thesis include determining the social and cultural functions of Zaza music, examining the role of music in social structure, and evaluating musical practices in a historical and cultural context. The research was conducted using qualitative data collection methods and supported by literature review. Folk songs that are a reflection of the sonic expressions in the cultural memory of the Zaza society; wedding folk songs, love, separation, homesickness folk songs, lullabies, folk songs sung in Kurmanji, socio-cultural ritual folk songs, religious ritual folk songs, annual calendar ritual folk songs in thematic structures in Uşşak maqam, Hüseyni maqam, Rast maqam, Hicaz Hümayun maqam, 2/4 (Nim Sofyan), 4/4 (Sofyan), 5/8 (Turkish accent), 6/4,6/8 (Yürük Semai), 8/8 (Düyek), 10/8 (Aksak Semai) are among the findings of the study. Keywords: Zaza Culture, Zaza Music, Ethnic Music