Muharrem Ertaş

Muharrem Ertaş — Biography

Muharrem Ertaş (1913, Yağmurlubüyükoba, Kırşehir - 3 December 1984, Kırşehir) was a Turkish folk artist who grew up within Central Anatolia's wandering minstrel-dervish (abdal) tradition and is regarded as a master of saz and verse. He is considered one of the foremost representatives of the abdal tradition and the bozlak genre, and is still widely regarded as the first name associated with bozlak music.

Performing from a young age, Ertaş played a defining role in passing the bozlak tradition to later generations by training younger musicians such as Hacı Taşan and Çekiç Ali, and most notably his own son, Neşet Ertaş.

He died in Kırşehir in 1984, but his legacy has endured: memorial ceremonies are still held at his grave each year, and a fine arts music school in his home province of Kırşehir bears his name.