Turkey mourns demise of beloved folk singer Neşet Ertaş

Famous folk singer and composer Neşet Ertaş passed away (age 74) in hospital in the western province of Izmir on Tuesday.

Ertaş had been receiving treatment at the İzmir Medical Park Hospital for the past 15 days and was taken to the intensive care unit two days ago. He was 74.

Ertaş is known as a folk poet and a master of bağlama, a traditional Turkish folk music instrument.

HIS  SHORT BIOGRAPHY (born 1938 in Çiçekdağı, Kırşehir, died 2012 in Izmir)
A Turkish folk music singer, lyrics writer and a virtuoso of Turkish instrument bağlama

Neşet Ertaş was born in 1938 in Kırtıllar, a village in the central province of Kırşehir.  His father, Muharrem Ertaş, was also a a famous poet and folk singer.

He went to primary school for only 2 years.

He came to Istanbul towards the end of 1950s and made his first record “”Neden Garip Garip Ötersin Bülbül”, a folk song which originally belonged to his father.

The record was much favoured by the public after which the folk artist went on to accomplish other activities such as many live public performances and other records.

After settling down in Ankara, Mr. Ertaş experienced health problems and went to Germany as he was invited by his brother. The folk artist stayed there for a long while for the education of his children and his art activities.

The artist started his live performances again with a concert he staged in Istanbul, in 2000

He had a very unique stance and what mattered to him was not all those badges and titles rewarded by authorities but the admiration/recognition he had earned in the eyes of the people who listened to his work.

Neşet Ertaş interpreted musical pieces of the Abdal – Turkoman tradition, following his father. With his forceful saz, his warm voice pure and simple language Neşet Ertaş won the admiration of people from Central Anatolia to all the other parts of Turkey.

Turkey has surely lost a rare artist and human being. May God rest his soul in peace.

You can listen to his work in VIDEO

25 September 2012
EDITOR, BTT