Ozan Baysal – Tel ve Ten (ARC Music EUCD2976, 2025)
Ozan Baysal’s debut album, Tel ve Ten (String and Skin), spotlights the ancient Anatolian baglama (or bağlama) technique of şelpe: a plectrum-free style relying solely on hand techniques. This album presents a fusion of tradition and innovation, positioning Baysal as a key figure in the contemporary evolution of the instrument.
Rooted in the nomadic cultures of Central Asia and the Middle East, şelpe employs finger tapping (parmak vurma), plucking (tel çekme), and strumming (pençe). These techniques, once at risk of fading into obscurity, have seen a resurgence thanks to artists such as Hasret Gültekin, Arif Sağ, and Erdal Erzincan. Baysal builds on this revival, crafting a distinctive sound on his custom double-necked bağlama. The instrument’s dual registers, one with steel strings for a higher octave, the other with chrome-coated strings, expand the expressive possibilities of şelpe, allowing for intricate melodic counterpoint and percussive finger-tapping.
Tel ve Ten features original compositions, improvisations, and reinterpretations of traditional melodies, successfully bridging past and present. Tracks like “Haydar Haydar” breathe new life into a well-known Anatolian folk tune, while the virtuosic “Kabartan Zeybeği,” the album’s first single, reimagines the classic Zeybek dance form. Notably, Baysal’s approach amalgamates traditional modal structures with Western tonal harmonies, reflecting a broader movement among modern baglama artists who like to incorporate jazz and flamenco influences into their compositions.
A Turkish musician, composer, and scholar, Baysal’s expertise extends beyond performance. Introduced to the bağlama at a young age, he later earned a PhD from Istanbul Technical University’s Centre for Advanced Studies in Music (MIAM) and pursued post-doctoral research at SOAS University of London, focusing on the bağlama’s role in the London-based Alevi community. His research is deeply tied to his work as a musician, connecting historical context with contemporary interpretation.
Baysal has performed extensively across Europe, appearing at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Walden Festival, EFG London Jazz Festival, Nuoro Jazz Festival, and Isole che Parlano Festival. He is also a participant in the OneBeat International Music Exchange Program in the USA and a member of the MEDINEA network, where he collaborates with jazz and Mediterranean musicians.
The Tracks:
The album opens with “Makam Taksim,” an improvisation rooted in the Turkish makam system. Each makam follows specific melodic patterns, quarter tones, and progressions, forming the foundation of Ottoman classical and Anatolian folk music. Traditionally, taksim serves as a meditative prelude, allowing for free exploration within a set of melodic rules. Baysal’s rendition is one of the first performed on a double-necked baglama, beginning in Rast makam before seamlessly transitioning through Segah, Hüzzam, Karcığar, Hüseyni, and Nihavend makams.
Following this, Baysal presents a bold reinterpretation of Ali Ekber Çiçek’s “Haydar Haydar,” featuring Simon Leleux on two percussion instruments, doholla (a large darbuka) and bendir (frame drum). Originally composed for voice and long-necked baglama with a plectrum, this piece draws from the mystical poetry of the 17th century, exploring themes of spiritual struggle. Ethnomusicologist Irene Markoff notes that Çiçek was a pioneer in adapting traditional folk material into new compositions. Baysal’s instrumental arrangement introduces counterpoint sections through synchronized finger-tapping on both necks of the baglama, expanding on Çiçek’s melody while integrating fresh variations.
“Havada Turna Sesi Gelir” (The Sound of Crane is Heard in the Air), originally composed by Ashik Hisarlı Ahmet, reflects the deeply symbolic role of the crane in Turkic and Alevi-Bektashi traditions. Ashiks, poet-musicians who accompany themselves on the baglama, have historically woven nature metaphors into their lyrics. In this instrumental arrangement, a makam improvisation on the lower neck of the baglama sets the stage before the main melody unfolds, emphasizing the lyrical essence of the original song.
The album also features “Çakal Çökerten Zeybeği,” also known as Nazilli Zeybeği, a traditional dance tune from western Turkey. Historically associated with the Efes, irregular soldiers in the Ottoman Empire, this melody carries a legacy of defiance and resilience. According to folklore, jackals would gather and sit motionless when the Efes played this piece in the mountains, giving the melody its name. Zeybek music, traditionally performed with asma davul (hanging drum) and zurna (double-reed wind instrument), accompanies a slow and deliberate dance that symbolizes bravery. Baysal’s arrangement translates the measured movements of the dance into the expressive language of the double-necked baglama.
“Childhood Memories,” a collaborative composition between Baysal and Laçin Şahin, emerged during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conceived during an online conversation about childhood experiences, the moving piece carries a deeply personal resonance. Şahin dedicates it to his late grandfather, while Baysal reflects on long-lost friendships.
“Kabartan Zeybeği,” from the Manisa district of western Turkey, further explores the Zeybek tradition. After an initial improvisatory passage, Baysal reinterprets this regional melody for the double-necked baglama.
Closing the album is the lovely “Beyond Dreams,” an original composition from 2018 that represents one of the earliest works composed specifically for the double-necked baglama. Initially conceived as a solo piece, it was later expanded in 2021 when Enrica La Penna contributed a soaring vocal section composed entirely of vowels.
Musicians: Ozan Baysal on double-necked baglama; Simon Leleux on doholla, bendir; Bora Bekiroğlu on acoustic bass; Laçin Şahin on electric guitar; and Enrica La Penna on vocals.
Recorded at Istanbul Technical University – Centre for Advanced Studies in Music (MIAM) Studio, Istanbul, Turkey
Produced and engineered by Laçin Şahin
Musical director: Ozan Baysal
Mixed and mastered by Laçin Şahin, Oğuz Öz
Liner notes by Ozan Baysal, edited by Sarah Wanstall
Cover painting and product design by Sarah Wanstall
Booklet photography by Daniele Fadda
Buy Tel ve Ten.
Author: Madison Quinn
