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Grup Yorum

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Grup Yorum
File:Grup Yorum Logo.jpg
Background information
OriginIstanbul, Turkey
GenresFolk rock, folk, protest music, left, political music, türkü
Years active1985–present
LabelsKalan, Cem Müzik Yapım
MembersSelma Altın, İnan Altın, İbrahim Gökçek, Bahar Kurt, Helin Bölek, Ali Aracı, Barış Yüksel
Past membersMetin Kahraman, Kemal Sahir Gürel, Hilmi Yarayıcı, İlkay Akkaya, Efkan Şeşen, Ufuk Lüker

Grup Yorum is a Turkish band known for their political songwriting. Grup Yorum (Yorum means interpretation or comment in Turkish) has released twenty-three albums and one film since 1985. Some of the group's concerts and albums were banned over the years, and some of the group members were allegedly arrested or tortured.[1] Yorum remains popular and their albums continue to sell well in Turkey and internationally. Yorum has also given concerts in Germany, Austria, Australia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, United Kingdom, Greece and Syria.[2]

The group publishes an art, culture, literature, and music magazine entitled Tavir, and several group members manage a cultural center in the Okmeydanı neighborhood of Istanbul called İdil Kültür Merkezi.[3]

History

In 1985, 4 friends at Marmara University formed Grup Yorum. Influenced by the Latin American nueva cancion movement, they combined Turkish and Kurdish folk music and topical song with a left-wing often satirical perspective.[4] While the government frequently asserts that the group is tied to the DHKP-C, and it is not uncommon for audience at their concerts to chant DHKP-C slogans, Grup Yorum is not formally affiliated with any other organisation and its fans represent a broad range of Turkish and Kurdish left-wing orientations.[5]

They have sung about capitalism, imperialism, anti-Americanism and the Turkish government's policies, which they say penalise the poor. One track is about the clearing of poor neighbourhoods to make way for expensive skyscrapers. They also sometimes sing in Kurdish, als as the language was banned many years ago.[6] As a result of this, their albums were shot at with live ammunition by police during a raid.

The group composition has been in a constant state of change since the group's inception, and its members have continuously experienced political oppression including over 400 arrests and trials (approximately 400). Their albums have been seized by police and their concerts banned, but despite this Grup Yorum has been one of the top selling groups in the history of Turkey. The band gave their 25th anniversary concert on 12 June 2010 in İnönü Stadium, home to sports club Beşiktaş J.K.. The concert was attended by 55,000 fans.[7] Starting in 2011, Grup Yorum began an annual series of free concerts entitled Tam Bağımsız Türkiye, the first two of which attracted 150,000 and 250,000 fans respectively.[8]

Towards the end of 2017, they released the album "İlle Kavga" (meaning struggle no matter what) [9] and their album cover shows instruments that were destroyed by police during a raid in 2016 on the cultural centre[10]

File:Inonu Concert Grup Yorum.gif
Grup Yorum celebrate their 25 years in 2010 with 55,000 people in the İnönü football stadium

Films

Whilst the group is mostly known for the songs it creates, they have also produced a film in 2012 named "F-Tipi" (F-Type). F Type is a film about the experiences of political prisoners in F-Type prisons following the simultaneous "Return to Life Operation" in 19 prisons on 19 December 2000. The film was developed by Grup Yorum and directed by 10 directors (Hüseyin Karabey, Ezel Akay, Reis Çelik, Aydın Bulut, Barış Pirhasan, Mehmet İlker Altınay, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Vedat Özdemir).[11] The film premiered on 19 December 2012 at Atlas Cinema, Istanbul and on 21 December 2012 it entered cinemas in Turkey.[12] The film, which was released for 14 weeks, was viewed by 75,643 people. One of the film's directors, Ezel Akay, said that the film had been subjected to censorship by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality even before the film was released. Despite payment being made, film posters were not hung in the subway by the municipality, wall posters were removed one by one, and people who were hanging the posters were detained. The film screening in Samsun was cancelled following the threatening of the cinema owners by police and supporters of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The film was shown in many countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France.[12]

In a 2018 press statement, exiled Grup Yorum member Inan Altın said that a new film was in the process of being developed. He added that the police had raided the location of the filming, and that it was becoming impossible to create the film in Turkey.

On 18 January 2013, 5 members of the group were accused of membership in the DHKP-C and arrested.[13] They were released again on the 21 January 2013.[14]

In November 2016, 8 members of Grup Yorum were arrested at a concert they held, but in spring 2017 they were released again.[15]

In February 2018, Ali Aracı, İbrahim Gökçek, Selma Altun, İnan Altun, Emel Yeşilırma, and İhsan Cibelik were placed on the wanted list of the Turkish government. These members are currently on the grey list, meaning that they have a 300,000 Turkish Lira bounty on their heads.[16]

In November 2019, Cologne police raided the venue and banned Grup Yorum's concert which was going to take place in solidarity with members in Turkey. The statement of the police said that the concert was forbidden, that the area where the concert would be held was closed by the police and that those who came to watch the concert were sent back. [17]

Members

Discography

Albums
  1. 1987 - Siyrilip Gelen
  2. 1988 - Haziranda Ölmek Zor / Berivan
  3. 1989 - Türkülerle
  4. 1989 - Cemo / Gün Gelir
  5. 1990 - Gel ki Şafaklar Tutuşsun
  6. 1991 - Yürek Çağrısı
  7. 1992 - Cesaret
  8. 1993 - Hiç Durmadan
  9. 1995 - İleri
  10. 1996 - Geliyoruz
  11. 1997 - Marşlarımız
  12. 1998 - Boran Fırtınası
  13. 1999 - Kucaklaşma
  14. 2000 - Onbeşinci Yıl Seçmeler
  15. 2001 - Eylül
  16. 2001 - Feda
  17. 2003 - Biz Varz
  18. 2003 - Yürüyüş
  19. 2006 - Yıldızlar Kuşandık
  20. 2008 - Başeğmeden
  21. 2013 - Halkın Elleri
  22. 2015 - Ruhi Su
  23. 2017 - İlle Kavga

Songs

See also

References

  1. ^ "Alleged police torture against music group". Hurriyet Daily News. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  2. ^ http://www.demokrathaber.net/kultur-sanat/grup-yorum-suriyede-konser-verdi-h19910.html Grup Yorum Suriye'de konser verdi
  3. ^ "Grup Yorum'a 'Sen misin direnen' davası". Radikal. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  4. ^ Bates, Eliot (2010). Music in Turkey: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  5. ^ Bates, Eliot (2014). Oxford Handbook of Mobile Music Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 341 ff.
  6. ^ Aslan, Senem (2015). Nation Building in Turkey and Morocco. Cambridge University Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-107-05460-8.
  7. ^ "İnönü'de 'Yorum' devrimi". Radikal. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  8. ^ "Grup Yorum 3. Bağımsız Türkiye Konseri 14 Nisan'da". Milliyet. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  9. ^ "Grup Yorum'dan yeni albüm". odatv.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  10. ^ Wright, Bryony (2018-04-04). "Grup Yorum: the jailed band Turkey can't silence". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  11. ^ "F tipi film (2012)". BFI. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  12. ^ a b "Music band releases film on Turkish F-type prisons". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  13. ^ "Left-wing band Grup Yorum members jailed". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  14. ^ "Left-wing folk band Grup Yorum attracts tens of thousands to public Istanbul concert". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  15. ^ SCF (2017-03-01). "Members of Grup Yorum and fashion designer Şansal released". Stockholm Center for Freedom. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  16. ^ TurkeyPurge. "Folk band Grup Yorum members in 'wanted terrorists' list | Turkey Purge". Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  17. ^ MBSNews. "Grup Yorum's concert in Germany banned". Retrieved 2019-11-25.

Further reading

  • Kahyaoğlu, Orhan. Grup Yorum: 25 Yıl Hiç Durmadan. CanGeçlik, 2010 (Softcover). ISBN 975-07-1224-2
  • Kahyaoğlu, Orhan. And Dağları'ndan Anadolu'ya 'Devrimci Müzik' Geleneği ve "Sıyrılıp gelen" Grup Yorum. neKitaplar, 2003 (Softcover). ISBN 975-283-000-5
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