The live memories and folk songs of Aşık Mahzuni Şerif and Aşık Yener was commemorated in the association center on the 15th death anniversary of Aşık Mahzuni Şerif.

“Afşin Eshab-ı Kehf Friendship, Culture and Environment Association”, which also operates in Istanbul, organized a cultural event so as to protect their values. Having added Aşık Yener this year to the memorial of Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, which is hold annually on May, they commemorated both valued minstrels with their memories and folk songs.

Abdulkadir Arslan, the Vice President of Afşinder and relative of Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, presented the memorial. After telling the summary of Mahzuni’s life story, Arslan talked briefly about the dreams and the memories of the minstrel.

Aşık Yaşar Gören and Aşık Aliyar Arslan sang the beautiful folk songs of Mahzuni and told their memories related with him as well.

We need to protect our values while they are still alive. Being an artist is an innate capability. Not every man can write and compose songs. Our city has productive earth in terms of poetry and minstrels. Thus, we need to protect our values while they are still alive. Today, there has been organized such an event so as to protect our valued minstrels who feast us with folk songs while we commemorate our two valued countryman with God’s mercy. I would like to thank our valued minstrels and the attendants, said Ahmet Ardıç, the President of Afşinder.

Lastly, Aşık Arap Ali Gülşen, who had served Aşık Yener for 19 years, took the stage and worked the audience with the folk songs he composed from Aşık Yener’s poetry.

The memorial ended after the participants were served a meal and a souvenir photo was taken.

Source: Maraş Gündem (24 May 2017)