Performing trauma in privileged spaces: Empowering Turkish women's voices of the past

Abstract

Ağ Elime Mor Kinalar Yaktilar', ('They Put Red Henna on My Hands') is a well-known twentieth century Turkish folk song, portraying the voice of a young girl forced to be married against her will. It is mainly performed at a women's henna night ritual that occurs at the home of a brides parents before the wedding ceremony. This rite of passage is symbolic of the transition into womanhood, with the loss of virginity and the song acts as a warning to the trials and tribulations of marital woes that reside in the collective memory of Turkish women. As a Turkish female composer, choosing to perform this piece outside of the Turkish community, I bring the role of women as important tradition bearers to the forefront and also contribute to raising awareness of the global issue of child marriage. By performing this piece in the privileged spaces of academia, I give voice to underprivileged traditional folk singers of the past who were also survivors of childhood trauma. This chapter reflects upon my leadership role as a female performer/researcher, engaging with this challenging subject in an intercultural context. I discuss my position as leader of the collaborative and exploratory creative process with North American instrumentalists whereby the emotional and musical elements of the piece are intertwined, mirroring its sadness using the Hüseyni mode with descending glissandos and tremolos. I analyze the function of the piece within this new performance space from historical, musicological, and social perspectives. Finally, I also examine different participatory roles of women past and present as the creators of the music, based on multi-cultural contexts of the university and communities in Calgary(Alberta, Canada).