Comparative Analysis of Three Common Works İdentified in Cyprus Folk Music And Turkish Folk Music

Abstract

Cyprus is an important island that has been influenced by various civilizations and cultures throughout its historical process. This situation has deepened and enriched the cultural mosaic of the island. In particular, Cyprus's geographical location and strategic significance have made it open to different cultural interactions. However, the political changes and the division of the island in the second half of the 20th century have left significant traces in the cultural texture of Cyprus. During this period, it is observed that the cultural elements brought by the Turks who migrated to Cyprus had a significant impact, especially in the field of music. The migrating communities contributed to the cultural structure of the island, paving the way for both traditional and modern musical elements to coexist. These complex historical and cultural processes have increased the cultural richness and diversity of Cyprus, making them significant factors in shaping the island's cultural identity. The musical identity of Cyprus has been shaped as part of a unique structure created by these cultural interactions and division, as well as the traditional elements in both Turkish Cypriot Folk Music and Greek Cypriot music. Research has revealed numerous variants of Turkish folk music on the island. These variants have been identified as musical, verbal, or Turkish folk quatrain variations.

This article aims to analyze the changes, similarities, and differences of three common oral melodies identified in both Cypriot folk music and Turkish folk music, while also examining their historical significance in the literature. The notations of the identified pieces have been organized according to the Tampere system in Cypriot sources, and to ensure coherence in the analysis, these pieces have been re-notated according to the tonic note of the Turkish folk music repertoire. The relevant pieces have been evaluated from the perspectives of Turkish music and Turkish folk music theories, with a comparative analysis of the variants from both geographical regions.