This is a walk from childhood to today.
A march of shared dreams, shared pain, shared recitals...
Sometimes they were the *“Boran Storm ”* in the workers' struggle for their rights,
Sometimes they stood firm like “Cemo” on the peasant's land.
At the university gates, next to students who were denied entry because of their headscarves
“We are right and we will win” they shouted.
They were the voices of those who were willing to die for their art;
“He is not one of those who say ”I die for Turkey",
They were among those who could not be silenced even by dying.
No one could silence that voice.
Because Grup Yorum is not a band; it is the continuation of a tradition that comes from the bosom of the people.
Late 80s, early 90s...
Black apron, white collar years.
The school roads were muddy, shoes had holes, coats were patched.
Pencils used to break;
but it was not our poverty that was broken.
He was heavier than lead.
It was unbreakable.
I remember...
As “We Didn't Surrender” spins on the cassette player
We were the children who had bagel money stuck in their pockets, not every day, but once in a while.
Or rather, I saved up those pocket money
We were a generation trying to buy a Grup Yorum cassette.
It's a story...
It is a story that has happened in many homes.
“When ”that month" came, the school would change.
Sales of bagels in the canteen would drop, toast wouldn't sell anyway.
At the grocery store across the street
the tomato paste on the toast would form a crust.
Because no one would take their bagel money to school anymore.
Everybody, when nobody's home
he would sneak his allowance into his secret stash.
But it was not enough.
It was never enough.
Other ways had to be found.
“That month” a guest had to come to the house urgently.
Mom calls from the kitchen,
from that money traffic in the kitchen
we had to take our share.
“Go to the grocery store, buy two kilos of oranges, one kilo of apples...”
“Don't ring the bell, leave the door open...”
But that's life...
The visiting aunt was experienced.
He bursts into the kitchen on his way out the door:
“For God's sake, don't bother, where is he going?”
But in vain.
We went out through that door.
Because they needed money “that month”.
Because “Cemo's footsteps” were coming.
Classic fight on the way back from the grocery store:
Change.
“I won't!”
Begging and pleading, the change would be transferred to the stash.
Bagel money + grocery store change...
We were managing.
But it was still not enough.
Because “that month” had come.
There was a cassette of Grup Yorum.
It would not be without labor.
It required patience for days, weeks.
Because these tapes were not just music;
*It was *“Magic”, it was *“Walking”,
*It was *“Rebellion”, it was *“Resistance”.
At the rallies, there were many who cheered “Our Revolutionary March Continues”,
but when it comes to paying the price
“You should have waited for those who listened to ”Güleycan".
Let me not prolong...
There was a lot of suffering.
There was only one reason:
It's a cassette of Grup Yorum.
That tape was not bought once in a while.
The series had to be complete.
Completeness.
Perfect.
And that day...
If you're good with the cassette man.
“You won the ”poster wars".
The poster of the last album was taped to its place on the wall.
This time we did it.
Thank you, cassette man.
That sentence of my mother's when I entered the house:
“Huh, is your stomachache gone?”
Yes, mom.
Passed.
Because that stomach ache of ours made us good people who did not run away from *“Fight Necessarily ”*, who did not give up saying “We are right and we will win”.
-
Note
Grup Yorum's latest album Victory Halay is out.
Listen up.
Share.
Take ownership.
It is not enough
Do more.
Because:
Grup Yorum is the people.
And
The people cannot be silenced.