Baglama (Saz)

from

Firtina Müzikevi Maresal Cakmak Cadessi 4, Sokak No: 9, Sirinevler - Istanbul, Turkey

Hüseyin Firtina has a music school in Istanbul where Turkish Halk music and baglama are taught. He also started a music shop in which baglamas, built in his own workshop, are sold. The shop is also a meeting place of musicians working of in the field of Halk music and connected with the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT). Hüseyin Firtina himself is a teacher and performer.

Who is Hüseyin Firtina?

Hüseyin Firtina was born in the city of Sivas (Anatolia) in 1956 were he also grew up. At a very early age he became interested in Halk music and at the age of twelve he became the pupil of Hasan Caglar from whom he got his first lessons in Halk music and on the baglama. Together they gave concerts all over Anatolia. In 1978 Hüseyin Firtina met the famous baglama player Arif Sag who became his teacher. At that time Arif Sag was working for the Turkish Folklore Association (TFK). Later Hüseyin Firtina also worked for the TFK as a teacher and gave concerts with other artists inside and outside Turkey.

The Baglama

The baglama or saz is the most important instrument of the Turkish Halk music (folk music) and is the favourite instrument of the Asiks (troubadours). The Baglama family is the name for a group of instruments which have, notwithstanding their size and way of construction, some general characteristics. The following instruments, from small to large, belong to the baglama family: the cura, the baglama with a short or long neck, the divan saz and the meydan saz. These instruments are built in two types: yaprakli (leaves) and oyma (one block of wood) using different types of wood.

Types of wood used are: alder (kizilagac), cornel (kizilcik), chestnut (kestane), elm (kara agac), hornbeam (gürgen), juniper (ardic), lime (thlamur), mulberry tree (dut) and willow (sögüt) of which mulberry tree is preferred because of its tone quality.

Baglamas built in the shop of Hüseyin Firtina

These pictures shows an instrument we sell for Euro € 600.00.

The instruments built in the shop of Hüseyin Firtina are of a high quality and range in quality and price between Euro € 80.00 and Euro € 1000.00. The instruments built in his shop belong to the baglama family: cura, baglama (short neck and long neck), divan saz en meydan saz and can be ordered according to the building principle of yaprakli or oyma using one of the above mentioned types of wood.

last update: August 29, 2006
by: Tom van Berkel
E-mail: info@berkelmuziek.nl