Murat Cobanoglu is an Ashik – or minstrel – he works in tandem with Seref Tasliova (see Below). Murat was born in Kars, on the Russian-Turkish border in 1940. His grandfather and father were both famous Ashiks. Murat’s mother died when he was just three years old, and with his father often away performing, his childhood was not a happy one. When he was fourteen he was taking a herd of cattle up to the high grazing grounds and stopped for a rest by a spring. He drank water from the spring and fell into a deep sleep. In his dreams, a beautiful girl offered him a cup of sweet drink. When Murat awoke, it was the following morning and his head was full of strange rhythms and ringing words.
Many Ashiks have this dream, in which they are given the potion of divine love by a muse: they receive the gift of making spontaneous poetry which is till believed to be a supernatural power. Ashiks having had this experience are known as ‘Badeli Ashiks’: ‘they who have drunk from the cup’.
Murat took up his father’s saz and soon excelled himself. He became a champion performer, winning all the major contests, particularly in the bouts of ‘atishma’: improvised verbal verse combat.
He holds twenty gold medals and has performed at the Presidential residence. He is the founder of the Ashik’s society in Kars and works to revive and sustain, through teaching others, the bardic traditions of his home town. Murat does not speak English and his performance in Turkish would need mediating by a UK resident storyteller.
