Foreign students develop ear for Turkish music

By Behlul Cetinkaya

ANKARA (AA) – A group of foreign students in Turkey have formed a choir to perform Turkish folk, classical and Sufi songs.

Ozgur Ahmet Sarman, director of the International Art Society, told Anadolu Agency their choir consists of 30 students, who are the beneficiaries of Turkiye Scholarships, a state-run program.

“We study contemporary music with Turkish classical, Sufi, and folk songs from time to time. Among the choir members, some learn to play instruments here. We have lute, baglama, and rhythm lessons,” he said.

He said the choir's repertoire has expanded and so they are considering to organize a concert.

Kyrgyz Umsunay Omurbekova, who plays the baglama and kopuz, said that she has been living in Turkey since 2017.

"I play the kopuz, the national instrument of Kyrgyzstan. When I came to Turkey, I became interested in baglama and learned to play it,” she said.

She said studying folk music has opened a “new window” for her.

Iman Abdullatif from Sudan said he started playing instruments while he was doing his master's in Ankara. He can play the lute and guitar.

Erdin Sadiku, a Kosovan student, said Turkish music is similar to Kosovan music.

"The rhythms are different but we use the same motives. Therefore, Turkish music was not difficult and I loved it," said Sadiku.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar