Kenan Usta

Telli Çalgı Yapım

Luthier

Crafting the instrument of emotion

Kenan taught himself the intricate process of making the bağlama instrument
This long-necked lute plays a significant role in Anatolian folk music and Turkish music
The emotional connection with each instrument is a key component of practising this craft

The bağlama has an immense cultural and emotional value in Anatolian folk music, serving as a deep source of inspiration for Turkish musicians from many different genres. Having grown up within this culture and the classic songs of Anatolian folk music, this famed and poignant instrument was a clear choice for self-expression for Kenan Usta. Listening to it, playing it, and indeed making this lute with love, passion and dedication. With no formal training, Kenan taught himself to make the bağlama over years of practice. “I believe that having learnt this craft on my own, without the guidance of a master, allowed me to create my own style, to discover things on my own, rather than to only apply the same techniques as my teacher,” he says. Kenan has been a luthier since the early 2000s, creating ergonomic instruments with a high sound quality and carefully selected wood. “Making a bağlama is not just about technique, you have to create a relationship with the musician, to understand their emotions. The emotion is the fundamental part of instrument creation,” says Kenan.

Interview

What do you love most about your craft?: Turning an insignificant piece of wood into an instrument that can make sounds fascinates me. No matter what mood I am in, as soon as I enter the atelier, I am soothed, even just by the smell of the wood. My atelier confers an emotion of compassion towards me. To hear one of my instruments being played acoustically is one of the happiest moments for me.
In what way is your craft linked to the territory?: It has a socio-cultural relevance, as it is related to belief and culture and carries the motifs of Anatolia. When you listen to the master bağlama musician Aşık Veysel for example, you hear the essence of Anatolia. I make these instruments in Istanbul, but I am trying my best to express the language of all of Anatolia.
How would you define what you do?: I believe it is a beautiful art form that rejuvenates the human spirit artistically and enhances societal values for the benefit of the community. Bağlama is also an object that can express the full spectrum of my thoughts and emotions, good or bad. Maybe there are some emotions I do not want to share, but the instrument expresses them nonetheless.
Could your craft be considered in danger?: So far, no. Perhaps this is because the language of this instrument is universal. Bağlama music has healed wounds, has imparted cultural messages, and far more than being a language of many ethnicities, it is a general language of emotions.

Kenan Usta is a master artisan: he began his career in 2003 and he started teaching in 2014