Fading street melodies of future culture capital
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Aslı Sağlam
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Kasım 26, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - Istanbul’s most crowded streets, Taksim’s İstiklal, considered as the heart of culture life, hosts heaps of street musicians everyday. Although they make their livelihoods by singing and playing in the streets, they face difficulties from police and they are sometimes stopped.
It is not hard to see a violinist playing Mozart’s 9th symphony while a man plays a tabor 15 steps away on one of Istanbul’s most crowded streets, Taksim’s İstiklal. Considered the heart of Istanbul’s culture life, İstiklal Street hosts many buskers all day long.
Passersby stop to listen to their tunes, and they sometimes dance to the music, while becoming a part of the show or stand surrounding the musician getting goose bumps from the superb performance. Streets are the transparent side of countries and street musicians are a part of that.
While Istanbul is trying to make a place for itself among the world’s considered cultural cities, street musicians here face difficulties from police.
Percussionist Tolga Çeliksan, 36, a member of well-known "Koptu Kervan Grubu," who mostly perform on the streets, claims they are stopped by policemen while they perform. "In every corner of Europe it is possible to see street musicians playing music and singing and it is not only musicians who perform on the streets Ğ people also act, juggle and dance," Çeliksan said, adding it was unacceptable to silence musicians in the street while wanting to be a member of the European Union, or EU.
Çeliksan, who has been a musician for the last four years, said the group came together by chance and the other four members were more professional. Traveling the world with the money they earn from playing in the streets, the group have never faced problems in foreign cities as they do in Istanbul. "We were in Pakistan and India a few months ago and played on the streets of different cities but we were more than welcomed," said Çeliksan. Noting that there were people who made their livelihoods by being a street musician, he said policemen were following the orders they were given, yet it would be more peaceful if there were a system for street musicians.
Three years ago when they came back from a journey they wanted to play music on İstiklal. So as not to face any trouble, the band members visited the municipality to acquire permission. Istanbul Municipality allowed them to perform on İstiklal Street for only four days. "They replied to our request after three weeks; it felt like we were asking for a visa from another country," Çeliksan said, and continued, "We actually don’t need to get permission from anyone to play our instruments and sing in the streets."
For the safety of the streets
After they were silenced a few times by police on İstiklal Street earlier this year, they tried talking to policemen, who told them they were responsible for the safety of the streets. "The policemen told us that there is a risk of purse snatching and the possibility of bombings when people gather to listen to street musicians," said Çeliksan, and he noted that last year it was easier to perform on İstiklal Street.
Street musicians are especially not allowed to play music or perform shows on the sides of İstiklal Street which is closest to Taksim Square, because that area of the street is always the most crowded part of the Beyoğlu district.
Mentioning that the municipality was planning to give special cards with which they could prove they had permission from the municipality, he noted they never kept their promise. Although the municipalities organize a "street musicians festival," most performers still face unbearable treatment from municipal police. There have been incidents where they were stopped while playing music in the Sultanahmet district, the heart of historic Old Istanbul. According to the members of the Koptu Kervan Grubu, people who cannot play any instruments or sing should not call themselves street musicians. "The ones who only thrum any instrument they find should not go out in the streets pretending to play something to earn money," said Çeliksan.
Engin Gürkey, a professional musician who is also a teacher, has also heard that street musicians are having a hard time playing on İstiklal Street. He advised professional street musicians to come together and go to the Istanbul Municipality to complain. Gürkey also said it was possible to form an association for street musicians. Noting there were no laws or sanctions about street musicians in Turkey, Gürkey said they should be free to play on the streets. "People need to hear more music on the streets."
Passersby stop to listen to their tunes, and they sometimes dance to the music, while becoming a part of the show or stand surrounding the musician getting goose bumps from the superb performance. Streets are the transparent side of countries and street musicians are a part of that.
While Istanbul is trying to make a place for itself among the world’s considered cultural cities, street musicians here face difficulties from police.
Percussionist Tolga Çeliksan, 36, a member of well-known "Koptu Kervan Grubu," who mostly perform on the streets, claims they are stopped by policemen while they perform. "In every corner of Europe it is possible to see street musicians playing music and singing and it is not only musicians who perform on the streets Ğ people also act, juggle and dance," Çeliksan said, adding it was unacceptable to silence musicians in the street while wanting to be a member of the European Union, or EU.
Çeliksan, who has been a musician for the last four years, said the group came together by chance and the other four members were more professional. Traveling the world with the money they earn from playing in the streets, the group have never faced problems in foreign cities as they do in Istanbul. "We were in Pakistan and India a few months ago and played on the streets of different cities but we were more than welcomed," said Çeliksan. Noting that there were people who made their livelihoods by being a street musician, he said policemen were following the orders they were given, yet it would be more peaceful if there were a system for street musicians.
Three years ago when they came back from a journey they wanted to play music on İstiklal. So as not to face any trouble, the band members visited the municipality to acquire permission. Istanbul Municipality allowed them to perform on İstiklal Street for only four days. "They replied to our request after three weeks; it felt like we were asking for a visa from another country," Çeliksan said, and continued, "We actually don’t need to get permission from anyone to play our instruments and sing in the streets."
For the safety of the streets
After they were silenced a few times by police on İstiklal Street earlier this year, they tried talking to policemen, who told them they were responsible for the safety of the streets. "The policemen told us that there is a risk of purse snatching and the possibility of bombings when people gather to listen to street musicians," said Çeliksan, and he noted that last year it was easier to perform on İstiklal Street.
Street musicians are especially not allowed to play music or perform shows on the sides of İstiklal Street which is closest to Taksim Square, because that area of the street is always the most crowded part of the Beyoğlu district.
Mentioning that the municipality was planning to give special cards with which they could prove they had permission from the municipality, he noted they never kept their promise. Although the municipalities organize a "street musicians festival," most performers still face unbearable treatment from municipal police. There have been incidents where they were stopped while playing music in the Sultanahmet district, the heart of historic Old Istanbul. According to the members of the Koptu Kervan Grubu, people who cannot play any instruments or sing should not call themselves street musicians. "The ones who only thrum any instrument they find should not go out in the streets pretending to play something to earn money," said Çeliksan.
Engin Gürkey, a professional musician who is also a teacher, has also heard that street musicians are having a hard time playing on İstiklal Street. He advised professional street musicians to come together and go to the Istanbul Municipality to complain. Gürkey also said it was possible to form an association for street musicians. Noting there were no laws or sanctions about street musicians in Turkey, Gürkey said they should be free to play on the streets. "People need to hear more music on the streets."