Music and Coffee Houses in the Ottoman–American Diaspora (1890–1940s)

Year 2021, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 121 - 148, 15.12.2021

Mustafa Avcı

https://doi.org/10.26650/CONS2021-998288

Abstract

Ottoman immigration to America, which started in the 1830s, gained momentum, especially in the 1890s and accelerated in the first quarter of the 20th century. People of different nationalities, such as Armenians, Greeks, Arabs, Sephardic Jews, and Turks, were among those who immigrated to America. In addition, immigrants brought with them their cuisine, music, dance, and entertainment cultures as well as their cultural institutions, such as churches, synagogues, coffee houses, and cafés. Coffee houses were the most crucial places where immigrants from the Ottoman geography could socialize. Coffee houses served in many different areas in immigrant life. First, they served as a social support network where the immigrants learned about life in America and solved their problems. Second, they served as an entertainment venue for immigrants. Moreover, music was one of the most popular types of entertainment. This article primarily deals with immigrant musical activities that were held in coffee houses, café amans, and café restaurants. Such musical activities included Karaghiozisperformances, listening to records, and live music performances. Similar to music, dance also had an indispensable place in these venues, particularly oriental belly dancing which was one of the principal attractions of immigrant venues

Keywords

Ottoman–American music, Café aman, Coffee house

Amerika Osmanlı Diasporasında Müzik ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)

Abstract

Osmanlı topraklarından Amerika’ya 1830’lu yıllarla başlayan göç dalgası özellikle 1890’larla birlikte ivme kazanmış ve 20. yüzyılın ilk çeyreğinde de hızlanarak devam etmiştir. Amerika’ya göç edenler arasında Ermeniler, Yunanlar, Araplar, Sefarad Yahudileri, Türkler ve Kürtler gibi farklı milletlerden insanlar yer almıştır. Göçmenler Amerika’ya mutfak, müzik, dans, eğlence kültürlerinin yanında; kilise, sinagog, kahvehane, café aman gibi kurumları da beraberlerinde götürmüşlerdir. Kahvehaneler Osmanlı coğrafyasından gelen göçmenlerin sosyalleşebildikleri en önemli mekânlar olmuştur. Bunun en temel sebeplerinden biri göçmenlerin çok ciddi bir çoğunluğunun bekâr erkeklerden oluşmasıdır. Ayrıca göçmenlerin geldikleri memleketlerde köklü bir kahvehane geleneğinin olması ve göçmenlerin, Amerika’daki göçmen karşıtlığı yüzünden kendi içlerine kapanması da bunda etkili olmuştur. Kahvehaneler göçmenler için sadece bir eğlence mekânı değil aynı zamanda göçmen hayatı hakkında bilmedikleri meseleleri öğrendikleri, memleketlerinden haber aldıkları, iş buldukları, kısacası sorunlarını çözdükleri birer sosyal destek merkezi gibi faaliyet göstermiştir. Kahvehaneler göçmen eğlence hayatında çok farklı alanlarda hizmet sunmuştur. Bunların başında da müzikli eğlence faaliyetleri gelmektedir. Bu makale temel olarak Amerika’daki kahvehane, café aman, café-restoran gibi mekânlardaki canlı müzik, karagöz gösterileri ve plak dinletileri gibi farklı eğlence türleriyle ilgilenmektedir. Bu mekânlarda dans da çok önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur, özellikle göbek dansı (oryantal dans) yapan kadın dansçılar göçmen mekânlarının en büyük atraksiyonlarından biri olmuştur.

Keywords

Amerika’da Osmanlı Müziği, Amane kahvehaneleri, Osmanlı Eğlence Müziği

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