Aşık Mahzuni Şerif facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aşık Mahsuni Şerif
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Aşık Mahsuni Şerif's statue in Hacıbektaş, Turkey
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Şerif Cırık |
| Also known as | Aşık Mahsuni Şerif, Mahsuni Şerif, Mahsuni |
| Born | 17 November 1939 Berçenek Village, Afşin, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey |
| Died | 17 May 2002 (aged 62) Porz, Köln, Germany |
| Genres | Turkish folk music |
| Years active | 1961-2002 |
Şerif Cırık, known to many as Aşık Mahsuni Şerif, was a well-known Turkish ashik, a folk musician, composer, poet, and writer. An Aşık is a special title. It means he was a respected musician and storyteller. He was also connected to Alevism, a spiritual tradition.
Early Life
Aşık Mahsuni Şerif was born in 1939. His birthplace was Berçenek village in Afşin, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. His mother's name was Döndü, and his father was Zeynel Cırık.
There was no primary school in his village. So, he first studied the Koran in a religious school. Later, he was able to finish primary school in a nearby village.
He started playing the baglama (a stringed instrument) in 1956. This was also when he began writing poems. He was attending military school at that time.
Music and Poetry Career
After leaving the army, Mahsuni Şerif became a public poet. He continued the tradition of Turkish folk poetry. He often wrote about important political topics. His poems and songs talked about the problems people faced. For example, one poem was about the lack of schools in villages.
He became interested in Turkish folk traditions when he was 12. He learned to play the baglama from his uncle, Aşık Fezali.
His first music record came out in 1964. He lived in Gaziantep for a while, then moved to Ankara. In 1963 and 1964, he was active in groups that worked for people's rights.
He met a writer named Fikret Otyam. Through him, Mahsuni met Cüneyt Arcayürek from the Hürriyet newspaper. The first newspaper article about Mahsuni was written by Cüneyt Arcayürek. Mahsuni also helped create a society for public poets. He gave concerts with support from Fikret Otyam and a union of newspapers.
In 1968, he started his own record company. He used the money he had earned. However, he and his business partners soon faced financial difficulties.
Between 1989 and 1991, he was recognized as one of the world's top three poets. This honor came from the Turkish Folk Poets Federation.
Famous Songs
Aşık Mahsuni Şerif is known for many popular folk songs. Some of his most famous ones include:
- Dom Dom Kurşunu
- Yedin Beni
- Yuh Yuh
- Fadimem
- Gül Yüzlüm
- Ciğerparem
- Merdo
- Dostum
- Han Sarhoş Hancı Sarhoş
- Çeşmi Siyahım
- Yalan Dünya
- Ağlasam mı
- Abur Cubur Adam
- Katil Amerika
- Ekmek Kölesi
Many other folk and pop music artists have sung his songs. These include Ersen ve Dadaşlar, Edip Akbayram, Cem Karaca, Gülden Karaböcek, Zeki Müren, İbrahim Tatlıses, Ahmet Kaya, Mahsun Kırmızıgül, Murat Göğebakan, and Selda Bağcan.
Mahsuni Şerif released a lot of work during his career. He had 453 records, 50 cassette tapes, and 9 books.
Death
Aşık Mahsuni Şerif passed away on May 17, 2002. He died in Porz, Köln, Germany. He was buried in a special area called Çilehane. This place is part of the Hacı Bektaş Veli Complex in Nevşehir Province.
He became one of Turkey's most famous musicians. He was known for his unique way of performing Turkish folk music and folk poetry.
