The Role and Influence of “Bulgar” Musicians in the Turkish Music Scene in Berlin

Abstract

Berlin, the city with the highest Turkish population in Europe, has a very active musical life centered on its Turkish community, including wedding music, and music in bars, restaurants, music halls, taverns, and nightclubs. I have undertaken archival work and fieldwork there since 2013 and encountered a new interaction in the field, the “Bulgar” musicians who started to take place in/be part of the Turkish music scene in the recent years. Therefore, I tried to answer the question: who are these Bulgar musicians, why or how they are involved in the Turkish music life, what is their role, and how have they influenced the Turkish music scene in Berlin?