AYŞENUR
We traveled by ferry, then bus, and then taxi to meet Ayşenur at her home in a suburban apartment complex. A singer, writer, professor of Literature, ethnologist and ethnomusicologist, Ayşenur embodies a striking combination of vulnerability and passion. Born and raised in the Black Sea region of Turkey, she specializes in the folk music of the area, and also has explored the diversity of cultures in the Black Sea, including Georgian traditional singing. She records and performs a variety of these songs with well-known musicians in Istanbul, such as Kardeş Türküler.
When we met with Ayşenur for the interview, her husband (also from the Black Sea, of Georgian ancestry) and two children were present, so she invited us into her study, which was full of international literature, critical theory, philosophy and numerous other academic reference books. She was keen to conduct her interview in English, and was warm, charming, and generous in sharing many stories about her childhood in the Black Sea region, her experience of her migration as a child from a rural to urban setting, and her deep love for the village and the countryside where she was raised. She also sang a few songs for us, very beautifully, with her unique, plaintive voice and sensitive approach.
Though Ayşenur is an accomplished musician and scholar, she was currently unemployed when we met with her, and she and her husband were struggling with the uncertainty of their future, especially with two small children. Nevertheless, she had a spark and an optimism to her, showed us warm hospitality, and she and her daughter sang a Georgian song for us, which warmed everyone’s hearts.
A few days later, we met with Ayşenur again, this time in Kadıköy at the office of a friend. Here she sang a few songs for us, which we share here, with some of her words explaining how and where she learned them. She also explained to us a bit about her approach to working with traditional songs, how she finds relevance in the lyrics, and also how she adapts the song lyrics and melodies to reflect her individual expression and experience. In Ayşenur, we found a wonderful combination of dedication to tradition with a commitment to continually expand her intellectual engagement with the culture as a living, evolving entity.
