Page 39 - Kanyoning Türkiye

SUFİ

The story of the ney, a cane which takes shape after a The ney, the importance of which increased with the
series of processes, must start at the right time and at accompanying rebab and kudüm in Mevlevi music and
the right place. It must be known where the best cane invocation, had a historical course in this structure. The
can be found, in which season it must be cut, as well instrument which is the foremost symbol and voice of
as where to cut the cane. This is an operation similar to Mevleviyeh is a ney that is mentioned in the first 18
tree trimming, for if the cane is cut properly, the chance couplets of Mesnevi: “Listen to the ney and the tale
of it becoming a high-quality ney increases and the that it tells / Of the parting and what a complaint
cane can grow again. The best canes in Turkey for the it makes.” It bears mentioning that what gives real
ney are made of a hard, knotty reed called kargı, and meaning to the ney portion of the Mesnevi is not
they grow in the Samandağı district of Antakya. There the instrument itself , but is actually the one who
are also suitable canes for neys in İzmir and Bursa. blows into it. This principle applies to all woodwind
The required specifications for a cane to be suitable for instruments-its association with spirituality is due to
a ney are a well-proportioned distance between the the spirit of the one playing it. The technical elements
nodes, a proper diameter of the cane and a convenient of ney performance are continuously developing as
cane length for tuning. For the cane to have a high well. It would not be far off to say that the indescribably
quality sound, the other important factor is the graceful transition and tonality of the world-renowned
başpare (First piece/mouthpiece). The başpare, which ney blower Niyazi Sayın has an artistic performance
is attached to the head of ney and is where the player technique that is not unlike the technique that
blows, is generally made of horn and ivory or hardwood Tamburi Cemil Bey pioneered. At this point, it should
such as ebony or boxwood. In addition, the sound be noted that contemporary ney blowers such as Salih
quality of the ney depends on the skill of the master Bilgin, Ömer Erdoğdular and Sadrettin Özçimi were
who shapes the ney with his/her effort. The ancestors trained by Niyazi Sayın, who advocated for important
to the ney in terms of its production and use can be reform in performance technique, repertoire, and style.
found in Sumerian culture. There are human Figures These all give the ney importance in both technique
playing woodwinds in Sumerian sculptures and reliefs. and in spirituality. These master performers maintain
Woodwinds in Sumerian times were generally called both tradition and their own unique style. They play
“na” and some researchers claim that the words “nây” a substantial role in developing ney performance,
and “ney” come from “na”. Also, another woodwind, which has been developed over the centuries in the
kargi, is from the same culture and has characteristics Mevleviyeh tradition. The ney, a symbol of Sufi music
that make it appear to be the ancestor of the ney.We tradition, is adapting to contemporary music, too. To
have said that the neys we use today are made of some, the ney tells a story, but to others, it cries;
the kargı cane. Considering the etymology, it can be either way, it gives depth to the melody and the lyrics
said that the ney was derived from “na” and kargı from with its unique emotional qualities. The new emerging
“kargi”. The emergence of the shape of today’s ney techniques of ney blowing (opening) are leading to a
is attributed to the Prophet Moses by Evliya Çelebi, new generation of performers, and thus even deeper
and coincides with the Turks’ settlement in Anatolia. performances.

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