Egyptian İbrahim Efendi and his compositions in Turkish music

One of the influential periods in the development of Turkish music is the 19th century. During this period, many composers, singers (hanende), and performers of non-Muslim origin made significant contributions to Turkish music. One of them is Mısırlı (Udi) İbrahim Efendi, who was a performer, composer, and singer (hanende), also known as "Avram Hayat Levi". Mısırlı (Udi) İbrahim Efendi made significant contributions to Turkish music with virtuosic ud performances and compositions. The purpose of our thesis is to highlight the ud performance, artistry, and compositions of Mısırlı (Udi) İbrahim Efendi, a figure whose works we perform today but for whom we have not encountered any comprehensive study. Our aim is to contribute to the literature by transcribing the notation for 14 of his compositions that are currently absent from repertoires, translating their lyrics into contemporary Turkish, and reforming the notation of 2 existing saz semais and 56 other pieces. This study is limited to the life and compositions of Mısırlı (Udi) İbrahim Efendi. The focus of our research is to contribute to the repertoire by translating the mentioned works into contemporary Turkish and providing their notation. Moreover, the widespread recognition of a significant portion of (Udi) Mısırlı İbrahim Efendi's works today, including the famous 'Misirlou' (Pump It) song that has gained popularity even in America, and the establishment of the theory attributing its composition to him, underscore the importance of this study. It aims to illuminate not only his era but also the perspectives surrounding him, given our lack of sufficient sources and information about him. The translation of these works into contemporary Turkish and notation will provide different perspectives on both 19th-century Turkish music and Mısırlı (Udi) İbrahim Efendi's artistic and compositional approach.