Arif Sağ was born in Erzurum in 1945. He started learning music with kaval at the age of five. When he was 7 years old, Sağ learned how to play bağlama with Kumaş Dede in Erzincan, by whom many musicians such as Davut Suları, Aşık Daimi, Ali Ekber Çiçek, Aşık Beyhani, and Kemter Yusuf were trained. After learning bağlama in Erzincan for 7 years, Sağ moved to Istanbul and studied bağlama with Nida Tüfekçi at the Aksaray Musiki Cemiyeti. His first album "Gafil Gezme Şaşkın Bir Gün Ölürsün" was released in 1963. He started working as a bağlama artist at the Istanbul Radio.
Sağ has performed bağlama and composed over 200 works for various artists. He taught Turkish folk music and bağlama at the Istanbul State Turkish Music Conservatory in 1975-1982. In 1982 he founded Arif Sağ Music, where he taught more than 40.000 students. Sağ released the first album of the “Muhabbet” series (five albums) with Musa Eroğlu, Muhlis Akarsu, and Yavuz Top. In 1982 he gave a recital at the Istanbul Singing Theatre. Sağ introduced Turkish folk music and bağlama in many countries in Europe and Asia.
Sağ served as a member of parliament in 1987-1991. In 1996 he performed Anatolian music with the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra in Cologne with a support of German former President Mr. Roman Herzog. The same year Sağ gave a concert with Erdal Erzincan and Erol Parlak in Cologne and received a special award from the German President. In 2000 Sağ gave a concert with Flamenco guitarist Toma Tito in 12 European cities. Sağ currently lives and works in Istanbul.
Discography:
Gurbeti ben mi yarattım (1981)
İnsan olmaya geldim (1983)
Muhabbet 1-5 (1984 - 1987)
Halay (1988)
Duygular dönüştü söze (1989)
Türküler yalan söylemez (1990)
Biz insanlar - Kerbela (1990)
Resital 1 (with Musa Eroğlu) (1991)
Ben çaldım siz söyleyin (1991)
Halaylar ve oyun havası (1992)
Golden Bağlama (1992)
Direniş (1993)
Umut (1995)
Seher Yıldızı (with Belkıs Akkale) (1996)
Concerto for Bağlama (1998)
Dost Yarası (2002)
Davullar Çalınırken (2005)
Ezo Gelin (2007)
Şekeroğlan - Saz ile Oyun Havaları (2011)
Reference: arifsag.net, en.wikipedia.org, milliyet.com.tr |