Singers or Photographs? The Disciplined Body in Turkish Classical Music Choirs*

Authors : Gizem Nur Copçuoğlu

Pages : 393-419

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Publication Date : 2024-11-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article scrutinizes the limited and disciplined body movement within contemporary Turkish classical makam music choirs and ensembles, drawing insights from the author’s ethnographic study in Istanbul. The goal of the article is to raise questions about the extent to which Turkish makam music singing is embodied and how external entities, beyond the singers themselves, contribute to shaping this embodiment. In order to demonstrate the variety of body language used by singers and investigate the fundamental causes of this controlled and restricted body movement, this article will examine the historical, sociomusical, and structural elements that contribute to this shared body language among Turkish makam music singers. Employing a participant-observer approach within the framework of autoethnographic research, the study investigates the bodily, psychological, and musical experiences encountered while singing in a choir. Interviews conducted with fellow choir members further illuminate their personal experiences. Findings indicate that, in addition to the inherent musical features—such as slow rhythmic cycles, elongated syllables, intricate lyrics, and melancholic makams—singers limit their bodily movements due to multiple influences, including socio-political efforts to restore and modernize the music of a post-imperial republic. To compensate for this physical restraint, they rely on facial expressions, subtle gestures, and most importantly, vocal expression.
Keywords : şarkı söyleme, koro, beden, disiplin, klasik türk müziği