This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/13/taksim-square-protests-turkish-musicians
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Taksim Square protests bring hope to Turkish musicians | Taksim Square protests bring hope to Turkish musicians |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| When riot police launched their first raid on Taksim Square in Istanbul two weeks ago, somewhere in the melee was Serhat Köksal, the pioneer of politically charged Turkish electro music. Fleeing through the clouds of teargas as the police advanced, Köksal – who performs under the name 2/5BZ – collapsed into a construction trench, breaking both of his arms. | When riot police launched their first raid on Taksim Square in Istanbul two weeks ago, somewhere in the melee was Serhat Köksal, the pioneer of politically charged Turkish electro music. Fleeing through the clouds of teargas as the police advanced, Köksal – who performs under the name 2/5BZ – collapsed into a construction trench, breaking both of his arms. |
| Still recovering after surgery that left him with 24 titanium pins in his limbs, Köksal was unable to take part in the mass protests that followed the police raid. But many other Istanbul musicians have joined the rallies against a government that they believe threatens their freedom and way of life. | Still recovering after surgery that left him with 24 titanium pins in his limbs, Köksal was unable to take part in the mass protests that followed the police raid. But many other Istanbul musicians have joined the rallies against a government that they believe threatens their freedom and way of life. |
| Barkin Engin, of Replikas, an alternative rock band, said the Erdoğan administration's redevelopment of Taksim Square and its planned destruction of Gezi Park was a tipping point. | Barkin Engin, of Replikas, an alternative rock band, said the Erdoğan administration's redevelopment of Taksim Square and its planned destruction of Gezi Park was a tipping point. |
| "The park became a symbol but there are many things behind this resistance," he said, citing restrictions on freedom of speech, limits on alcohol and abortion, the privatisation of public spaces and "an undemocratic prime minister who thinks he's the nation's father figure and uses religion to gain popularity". | "The park became a symbol but there are many things behind this resistance," he said, citing restrictions on freedom of speech, limits on alcohol and abortion, the privatisation of public spaces and "an undemocratic prime minister who thinks he's the nation's father figure and uses religion to gain popularity". |
| The injured Köksal, meanwhile, described the protests as a folk war. "The struggle against the state is a struggle for being human," he said. | The injured Köksal, meanwhile, described the protests as a folk war. "The struggle against the state is a struggle for being human," he said. |
| Rock musicians initially took to the streets as individual activists, fuelled by fury at the police's brutality. "It was very emotional and actually quite magical, how it started. After all the hopelessness and powerlessness we had been feeling for so long, at that moment there was nothing else we could do but go to the streets," said Ekin Sanaç, of the female electro duo Kim Ki O, whose most recent album Grounds explored the "depression" they felt before the protests erupted. | |
| Before riot police moved in to retake Taksim Square on Tuesday this week, the Gezi Park occupation had evolved into a non-stop free festival. The carnival atmosphere was muted by the early-morning crackdown, but demonstrators defied the authorities the following day by dancing a mass tango in gas masks. | Before riot police moved in to retake Taksim Square on Tuesday this week, the Gezi Park occupation had evolved into a non-stop free festival. The carnival atmosphere was muted by the early-morning crackdown, but demonstrators defied the authorities the following day by dancing a mass tango in gas masks. |
| There has been an outpouring of songs inspired by the protests, although the one that has resonated most deeply – Eyvallah, by the pop-rock band Duman, with lyrics about police brutality, batons and pepper spray and the defiant message "we are still free" – was written beforehand. | There has been an outpouring of songs inspired by the protests, although the one that has resonated most deeply – Eyvallah, by the pop-rock band Duman, with lyrics about police brutality, batons and pepper spray and the defiant message "we are still free" – was written beforehand. |
| "Music helps create a sense of solidarity," said Berna Göl, of Kim Ki O. "It spreads the feeling and the idea and it encourages the people who are on the streets." | "Music helps create a sense of solidarity," said Berna Göl, of Kim Ki O. "It spreads the feeling and the idea and it encourages the people who are on the streets." |
| The protest sympathisers who hammered out rhythms using kitchen utensils on their balconies while marchers filed past in the streets below inspired another band, Kardeş Türküler, to write a tribute titled The Sound of Pots and Pans. | The protest sympathisers who hammered out rhythms using kitchen utensils on their balconies while marchers filed past in the streets below inspired another band, Kardeş Türküler, to write a tribute titled The Sound of Pots and Pans. |
| One of the most popular anthems on YouTube is Every Day I'm Çapuling, a collage of news clips including a protester in a gas mask moonwalking behind the barricades, cut to LMFAO's exuberant pop hit Party Rock Anthem. Its title was a satirical poke at Erdoğan, who notoriously described the Taksim demonstrators as çapulcar – marauders. | One of the most popular anthems on YouTube is Every Day I'm Çapuling, a collage of news clips including a protester in a gas mask moonwalking behind the barricades, cut to LMFAO's exuberant pop hit Party Rock Anthem. Its title was a satirical poke at Erdoğan, who notoriously described the Taksim demonstrators as çapulcar – marauders. |
| Turkey actually has a long history of protest rock dating back to the politically turbulent 1970s, with singers such as Selda Bağcan and Cem Karaca delivering socially-conscious lyrics in the years before the 1980 military coup. The army takeover saw many such songs banned and some musicians including Karaca going into self-imposed exile, while Bağcan was jailed several times for her opposition stance. | |
| Some of the more psychedelic tunes from this "Anadolu pop" era have recently seen a revival of interest with a series of compilation albums including re-edit master Bariş K's Istanbul 70, while Bağcan has been sampled by rapper Mos Def, but the music was often shorn of its political context when it was repackaged for Western audiences. | |
| A few 70s protest songs were revived during the recent rallies, but plans to stage a major protest concert in Taksim Square attracted strong criticism on social networks. "One of the reasons was that those famous pop musicians already have their stage, and this is a stage for everyone. There is no hierarchy," said Göl. | |
| Despite the police offensive, many musicians who have been on the Taksim Square frontlines believe that some kind of collective psychological victory has been achieved. Both Replikas and Kim Ki O described what had happened as "an awakening". | Despite the police offensive, many musicians who have been on the Taksim Square frontlines believe that some kind of collective psychological victory has been achieved. Both Replikas and Kim Ki O described what had happened as "an awakening". |
| "Although emotionally things are quite rough now because of the terrible violence, of course there is hope and of course a lot has been gained already," Sanaç said. | "Although emotionally things are quite rough now because of the terrible violence, of course there is hope and of course a lot has been gained already," Sanaç said. |
| An offer of a referendum on the park's future has not calmed passions. "A referendum is something but it's not enough," said Gökçe Gürçay, of the folk-rock band Gevende, who was teargassed in the square when the police moved in this week. | An offer of a referendum on the park's future has not calmed passions. "A referendum is something but it's not enough," said Gökçe Gürçay, of the folk-rock band Gevende, who was teargassed in the square when the police moved in this week. |
| It was perhaps inevitable that Istanbul's liberal rock musicians would embrace the resistance movement. But some of them say it has banished the isolation they were feeling in a country that they feared was drifting closer towards socially conservative authoritarianism. | It was perhaps inevitable that Istanbul's liberal rock musicians would embrace the resistance movement. But some of them say it has banished the isolation they were feeling in a country that they feared was drifting closer towards socially conservative authoritarianism. |
| "One month ago, if you asked me, I would have said there was no hope for change," Gürçay said. "One month ago, we were talking about which country should we move to. Now we see that there is a future here." | "One month ago, if you asked me, I would have said there was no hope for change," Gürçay said. "One month ago, we were talking about which country should we move to. Now we see that there is a future here." |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. |