Just walk around campus, and it’s clear that many students
are literally hooked to their iPods, yet Turkish musician Latif
Bolat sees them as an evil that is killing off musical
tradition.
“These days, all around the world, we have tape recorders,
CD players and TVs,” Bolat said. “So you, as a person,
you really don’t have to make any music. Somebody else does
it for you; you only push the button.”
Bolat, who will perform Monday night in Ackerman Union’s
Grand Ballroom, is part of a rare breed, both in his
anti-technological creed and his quest as a musician working to
preserve traditional Turkish music. Bolat believes music can
contribute to peace by promoting tolerance and appreciation of
different cultures.
“Maybe then, when we go to war against other peoples, we
will think, “˜Well, just a second here, maybe these people are
people too,'” Bolat said. “Maybe there are other
ways of dealing with problems in the world rather than choosing the
worst way.”
Bolat will be accompanied by a musical ensemble and traditional
Turkish whirling dervish dancers. The event is sponsored by the
UCLA chapter of the Turkish Student Association.
“We hope to create a better understanding of the Turkish
identity,” Turksa President Vildan Guner said.
Bolat says he has even witnessed a need to reinforce the Turkish
identity in the younger generation within his own family.
“In one generation ““ boom ““ my nephew’s
generation doesn’t have anything to do with traditional folk
dancing,” Bolat said.
If it’s any indication of the importance of song in
Turkish culture, the Turkish word for “folk song” is
“türkü,” a variation of the word used for the
culture itself. So it’s appropriate that Bolat uses song to
help sustain his culture.
“My quest is to tell people, at least, “˜Hey,
don’t give (Turkish culture) away too quickly,'”
Bolat said. “It took us thousands of years to develop, and
yes, change is good, but we have to have some roots in this
progress, too.”
Bolat sees progress without regard to tradition as having the
same temporality of materialistic culture.
“Otherwise, (progress) is going to be a fashion
statement,” Bolat said. “We are going to lose the
tradition in the meantime, and we won’t have anything to fall
back to once the fashion goes away.”
But Bolat’s mission extends far beyond simply educating
the public in Turkish tradition. Bolat believes the music he
performs has profound philosophical and spiritual purposes.
“The lyrics try to understand the meaning of life and try
to elaborate on what we are supposed to do,” Bolat said.
In the same way, Bolat’s life answers to one of his
favorite Turkish folk songs.
“We hear all the roses are blossoming, who among us has
the courage to go and gather some roses for us.”
Bolat and his ensemble will perform March 1 in Ackerman
Union Grand Ballroom from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets are $8 for
students and staff, and $10 for general admission.