Pre-History of Street Music in Istanbul: Historicizing the Discourses of Street Music

Abstract

The contemporary meaning of street music in Istanbul, especially after the 1990s, was shaped by a global context that linked it to hegemonic struggles in the urban public space. Until then, the term street music was either not used at all or did not have its contemporary meaning. Consequently, the studies on street music often overlooked music practices occurring on the streets prior to the 1990s or tended to express doubt about their status as street music, arbitrarily including some while excluding the others. To address this problem, this study aims to identify and historicize the discourses of street music by delving into the practices and groups associated with street music before its explosion in the 1990s. The categorical content analysis method is used to analyze the data set obtained from historical texts, films, and secondary sources on the history of street music. Four distinct socio-historical contexts of street music were identified: music in public places such as picnic areas, meadows, and promenades; streetvendors who are accompanied by music; outdoor music associated with drinking binges; and neighborhood performances. Immigrant groups, Gypsy and non-Muslim entertainment musicians, and immigrant musicians coming from rural areas who are associated with & acirc;& scedil;& imath;k (minstrel) tradition are notable actors. Three dominant themes of historical discourses to interpret and classify the street music are identified: The street musician as a wandering urban folk artist, the street musician as a member of a low-status group, and the street musician as an outsider. These themes contributed to historicizing the discourses around street music, identifying its socio-historical context prior to its explosion in the 1990s, and illuminating the contemporary meaning of street music shaped thereafter.