Kâtibim


"Kâtibim", or "Üsküdar'a Gider İken" is a Turkish folk song about someone's clerk as they travel to Üsküdar. The tune is an Istanbul türkü, which is spread beyond Turkey in many countries, especially in the Balkans.

Recordings

Recordings by [Naftule Brandwein]

The melody was imported to North America in the 1920s. The renowned klezmer clarinetist and self-proclaimed "King of Jewish music" Naftule Brandwein recorded a purely instrumental version with the title "Der Terk in America" in 1924. Brandwein was born in Peremyshliany and emigrated to the USA in 1909 where he had a very successful career in the early 1920s.

Recordings by Safiye Ayla and similar versions

A notable recording is that by Safiye Ayla from 1949. During the time of recording, Ayla was also a member of the assembly at the Istanbul City Conservatory. Classical composer Saygun included 'Variations on the Old Istanbul Folk Song Katibim ' as the last part of his choral Op.22 Bir Tutam Kekik of 1943. Similar compositions of Ayla's "Kâtibim" have followed it, including:
  • With lyrics, and incorporating an English adaptation by Stella Lee, in 1953 the song was recorded in the USA as "[Uska Dara|Uska Dara - A Turkish language|Turkish Tale / Two Lovers]" by Eydie Gormé and Eartha Kitt. The interpretation of the internationally known vocal star Eartha Kitt, accompanied by an instrumental set, could be based on that of Safiye Ayla.
  • Other modern composers such as Ali Darmar have also arranged the tune.
  • A very early publication for the Central European region took place from around 1960 by the second volume of the series of the UNESCO Commission European Songs in the Origins, whose song notation for "Üsküdara gideriken" goes back to a written source from 1952. It shows striking similarities with the version sung by Ayla.

Movie adaptations

Alongside Ayla, Zeki Müren's recording of Kâtibim was also very popular. Müren appeared as an actor in the 1968 film "Kâtip " directed by Ülkü Erakalın, in which his recording played an important role and which became very popular in Turkey and the Turkish diaspora.

Adaptations from around the world

Many versions of the song can be found in countries neighboring Turkey and beyond, usually with entirely different lyrics. A documentary film entitled Whose is this song? and an international youth project called Everybody's Song documented many of these versions.

Europe

  • Albania: The tune in Albanian is titled "Mu në bashtën tënde", which has some variations by different artists. In 1993, the song was said to be a part of the repertoire in Albania, for example, of the Roma musicians who tried to revive it in the traditional Turkish way.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Bosnian adaptations of the song include a traditional Sevdalinka known as "Pogledaj me Anadolko budi moja ti", meaning "Oh Anatolian girl, be mine" and a Qasida called "Zašto suza u mom oku", meaning "Why are my eyes weeping?".
  • Bulgaria: The melody comes in the form of a Bulgarian love song "Černi oči imaš libe" and as a hymn of resistance to the Ottoman Empire in the Strandzha Mountains.
  • Greece: In Greece, the song is known under different names, including: "Μikró trehantüráki", "Gühasa mantűli", "Stou Pápa tο bougázi", "Anámesa Čirígo", "Apó Céno tópo", "Apó tün Aćűna us ton Peiraiá", "Ο Vaggélüs", and "Εσκουτάρι". One of the best known Greek interpreters of the song is Glykeria.
  • Hungary: Tamás Daróci Bárdos adapted the song with the title "Üszküdárá"
  • North Macedonia: A performance of the Macedonian version of the song comes from the musician Toše Proeski (Тоше Проески), who was described by the BBC as "Elvis Presley of the Balkans", and who also worked as a UNICEF ambassador. A less known version of the song but one that more closely follows the original melody is Oj ti Paco Drenovčanke.
  • Romania: There is also a Romanian version of the song called "De ai ști, suflețelul meu" translated as "If you knew, my soul" collected and published by Anton Pann in the 1850s.
  • Serbia : Kâtibim in the Serbian version is called "Ruse kose curo imaš" meaning "Blonde hair you have, girl", traditionally sung in southeastern Serbian dialect. During the 1950s, the song has also been featured in the popular Yugoslav film "Ciganka" meaning "Gypsy". There is another version in Serbian titled "Полетела два бијела голуба" meaning ''"Two white doves are flying"''

[Middle East]

  • A multilingual version called "Fel Shara" exists, with lyrics in Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish and English. It was popularized by Gloria Levy, where it appeared as a track on her album "Sephardic Folk Songs".
  • A traditional folk song in the Arab world with the same melody is known as "Ya Banat Iskandaria" meaning "Oh Girls of Alexandria". The song was later recorded by Lebanese Mohammed El-Bakkar around 1957 in his album named "Port Said".
  • Another Arabic version of the Levantine folklore, mostly sung as part of the Aleppine genre, is "Ghazali Ghazali" meaning "My Gazelle".
  • The melody is shared by "Talama Ashku Gharami", a traditional Arabic poem or Qasida for Muhammad and is similar to the Hebrew piyut Yigdal. It is considered highly devotional to Muhammad.
  • There is also another Arabic adaptation by Al Mulla Othman Al Mosuli named Ya Athouli la taloumni.

Central and Southern [Asia]

  • Afghanistan: Another version of the melody is known from Afghanistan, which was sung by Uzbek singer Taaj Mohammad.
  • Bangladesh: The Bengali adaptations of this tune known as "Tri-vuboner priyo Muhammad" and "Shukno patar nupur paye" in 1935s were composed by the national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. It is thought that he learned the melody while he was fighting in the Middle East during World War I. As implied by its name, "Tri-vuboner priyo Muhammad" is also an Islamic Song about Muhammad.
  • In the song "শুকনো পাতার নূপুর পায়ে", the poet Nazrul took the melody from the "Katibim" song and incorporated an inspirational theme of celebrating spontaneity which the young have and the old lack.
  • In the song he appreciates how a young girl moves like a whirlwind and smiles like the shimmering ripples of water.
  • Pakistan: A Turkish-Urdu mash-up version titled "Ishq Kinara - Üsküdar'a Gider Iken" was performed on the Pakistani television program Coke Studio by Sumru Ağıryürüyen and Zoe Vicajji in 2013.
  • India: In the 1956 Indian film Taj, there is a Hindi-language song titled "Jhoom Jhoom Kar Chali Akeli" by Hemanta Mukherjee, which has similarity with Katibim. In the 2012 Indian film Agent Vinod there is a Hindi-language song titled "I'll Do the Talking"; the song is a partial interpolation of "Rasputin". Kâtibim's original tune is easily guessed in this song.

Southeast [Asia]

Miscellaneous

Modern adaptations