Amerika Osmanlı Diasporasında Müzik ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)

Abstract

Osmanlı topraklarından Amerika’ya 1830’lu yıllarla başlayan göç dalgası özellikle 1890’larla birlikte ivme kazanmış ve 20. yüzyılın ilk çeyreğinde de hızlanarak devam etmiştir. Amerika’ya göç edenler arasında Ermeniler, Yunanlar, Araplar, Sefarad Yahudileri, Türkler ve Kürtler gibi farklı milletlerden insanlar yer almıştır. Göçmenler Amerika’ya mutfak, müzik, dans, eğlence kültürlerinin yanında; kilise, sinagog, kahvehane, café aman gibi kurumları da beraberlerinde götürmüşlerdir. Kahvehaneler Osmanlı coğrafyasından gelen göçmenlerin sosyalleşebildikleri en önemli mekânlar olmuştur. Bunun en temel sebeplerinden biri göçmenlerin çok ciddi bir çoğunluğunun bekâr erkeklerden oluşmasıdır. Ayrıca göçmenlerin geldikleri memleketlerde köklü bir kahvehane geleneğinin olması ve göçmenlerin, Amerika’daki göçmen karşıtlığı yüzünden kendi içlerine kapanması da bunda etkili olmuştur. Kahvehaneler göçmenler için sadece bir eğlence mekânı değil aynı zamanda göçmen hayatı hakkında bilmedikleri meseleleri öğrendikleri, memleketlerinden haber aldıkları, iş buldukları, kısacası sorunlarını çözdükleri birer sosyal destek merkezi gibi faaliyet göstermiştir. Kahvehaneler göçmen eğlence hayatında çok farklı alanlarda hizmet sunmuştur. Bunların başında da müzikli eğlence faaliyetleri gelmektedir. Bu makale temel olarak Amerika’daki kahvehane, café aman, caférestoran gibi mekânlardaki canlı müzik, karagöz gösterileri ve plak dinletileri gibi farklı eğlence türleriyle ilgilenmektedir. Bu mekânlarda dans da çok önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur, özellikle göbek dansı (oryantal dans) yapan kadın dansçılar göçmen mekânlarının en büyük atraksiyonlarından biri olmuştur.

Ottoman immigration to America, which started in the 1830s, gained momentum, especially in the 1890s and accelerated in the first quarter of the 20th century. People of different nationalities, such as Armenians, Greeks, Arabs, Sephardic Jews, and Turks, were among those who immigrated to America. In addition, immigrants brought with them their cuisine, music, dance, and entertainment cultures as well as their cultural institutions, such as churches, synagogues, coffee houses, and cafés. Coffee houses were the most crucial places where immigrants from the Ottoman geography could socialize. Coffee houses served in many different areas in immigrant life. First, they served as a social support network where the immigrants learned about life in America and solved their problems. Second, they served as an entertainment venue for immigrants. Moreover, music was one of the most popular types of entertainment. This article primarily deals with immigrant musical activities that were held in coffee houses, café amans, and café restaurants. Such musical activities included Karaghiozis performances, listening to records, and live music performances. Similar to music, dance also had an indispensable place in these venues, particularly oriental belly dancing which was one of the principal attractions of immigrant venues.
Keywords: Ottoman–American music, Café aman, Coffee house

Full text

Konservatoryum - Conservatorium
Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
ISSN: 2146-264X
E-ISSN: 2618-5695
ARATIRMA MAKALESİ / RESEARCH ARTICLE




Mustafa AVCI1
DOI: 10.26650/CONS2021-998288
1Dr. Öğr. Üyes, Altınba Ünverstes, Güzel
Sanatlar ve Tasarım Fakültes, Snema ve
Televzyon Bölümü, İstanbul, Türkye
ORCID: M.A. 0000-0002-5802-8036
Sorumlu yazar/Corresponding author:
Mustafa AVCI,
Altınba Ünverstes, Güzel Sanatlar ve
Tasarım Fakültes, Snema ve Televzyon
Bölümü, İstanbul, Türkye
E-posta/E-mail: mavcefend@gmal.com
Başvuru/Submitted: 21.09.2021
İlk Revizyon/Revision Requested: 12.10.2021
Son Revizyon/Last Revision Requested:
24.10.2021
Kabul/Accepted: 02.11.2021
Online Yayın/Published Online: 05.11.2021
Atıf/Citation: Avc, M. (2021). Amerka
Osmanlı dasporasında müzk ve kahvehaneler
(1890 -1930’lu yıllar). Konservatoryum -
Conservatorum, 8(2), 121-148.
https://do.org/10.26650/CONS2021-998288
ÖZ
Osmanlı topraklarından Amerka’ya 1830’lu yıllarla balayan göç dalgası
özellkle 1890’larla brlkte vme kazanmı ve 20. yüzyılın lk çeyreğnde
de hızlanarak devam etmtr. Amerka’ya göç edenler arasında Ermenler,
Yunanlar, Araplar, Sefarad Yahudler, Türkler ve Kürtler gb farklı mlletlerden
nsanlar yer almıtır. Göçmenler Amerka’ya mutfak, müzk, dans, eğlence
kültürlernn yanında; klse, snagog, kahvehane, café aman gb kurumları da
beraberlernde götürmülerdr. Kahvehaneler Osmanlı coğrafyasından gelen
göçmenlern sosyalleebldkler en öneml mekânlar olmutur. Bunun en temel
sebeplernden br göçmenlern çok cdd br çoğunluğunun bekâr erkeklerden
olumasıdır. Ayrıca göçmenlern geldkler memleketlerde köklü br kahvehane
geleneğnn olması ve göçmenlern, Amerka’dak göçmen karıtlığı yüzünden
kend çlerne kapanması da bunda etkl olmutur. Kahvehaneler göçmenler
çn sadece br eğlence mekânı değl aynı zamanda göçmen hayatı hakkında
blmedkler meseleler öğrendkler, memleketlernden haber aldıkları, 
buldukları, kısacası sorunlarını çözdükler brer sosyal destek merkez gb
faalyet göstermtr. Kahvehaneler göçmen eğlence hayatında çok farklı
alanlarda hzmet sunmutur. Bunların baında da müzkl eğlence faalyetler
gelmektedr. Bu makale temel olarak Amerka’dak kahvehane, café aman, café-
restoran gb mekânlardak canlı müzk, karagöz gösterler ve plak dnletler
gb farklı eğlence türleryle lglenmektedr. Bu mekânlarda dans da çok öneml
br yere sahp olmutur, özellkle göbek dansı (oryantal dans) yapan kadın
dansçılar göçmen mekânlarının en büyük atraksyonlarından br olmutur.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Amerka’da Osmanlı Müzğ, Amane kahvehaneler,
Osmanlı Eğlence Müzğ
ABSTRACT
Ottoman immigration to America, which started in the 1830s, gained
momentum, especially in the 1890s and accelerated in the first quarter of
the 20th century. People of different nationalities, such as Armenians, Greeks,
Arabs, Sephardic Jews, and Turks, were among those who immigrated to
America. In addition, immigrants brought with them their cuisine, music,
dance, and entertainment cultures as well as their cultural institutions, such
as churches, synagogues, coffee houses, and cafés. Coffee houses were the
most crucial places where immigrants from the Ottoman geography could
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

122
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021

Ottoman immigration to America, which started in the 1830s, gained momentum,
especially in the 1890s and accelerated in the first quarter of the 20th century. People of
different nationalities, such as Armenians, Greeks, Arabs, Sephardic Jews, and Turks,
were among those who immigrated to America. In addition, immigrants brought with
them their cuisine, music, dance, and entertainment cultures as well as their cultural
institutions, such as churches, synagogues, coffee houses, and cafés.
Coffee houses have been the most crucial places where immigrants from the Ottoman
geography could socialize. According to Frank Ahmed, this was because the overwhelming
majority of immigrants were single men (Ahmed, 1993, s. 13). However, Macedonian
writer Stoyan Christowe (1898–1995), who was also an Ottoman immigrant, emphasized
two more reasons other than bachelorhood. First, the significance of coffee houses in
immigrant life was closely related to immigrants having deep-rooted coffee-house
traditions in their home countries. Second, according to Christowe, the anti-immigrant
and hostile behavior against the Southeastern European and Anatolian immigrants was
another reason (Christowe, 1930, s. 48).
In addition to these three factors, because the establishment costs of coffee houses as social
centers were very low, in all immigrant colonies that have reached a specific size, Greek
kaffenions/kafeneions (Frangos, 2014; Lewine, 1996), Armenian srjarans (Nagoski, 2021a),
and Bulgarian kafenes (Carlson ve Allen, 1990, s. 74) were opened (Salutos, 1970, s. 181).
The coffee house served many different areas in immigrant life. First, it served as a social
support network where the immigrants learned about life in America and solved their
problems. Second, it served as an entertainment venue for immigrants. Moreover, music
was one of the most popular types of entertainment. This article primarily deals with
immigrant musical activities that were held in the coffee houses, café amans, and café
restaurants. Such musical activities included Karaghiozis performances, listening to
socialize. Coffee houses served in many different areas in immigrant life. First, they served as a social support network where
the immigrants learned about life in America and solved their problems. Second, they served as an entertainment venue for
immigrants. Moreover, music was one of the most popular types of entertainment. This article primarily deals with immigrant
musical activities that were held in coffee houses, café amans, and café restaurants. Such musical activities included Karaghiozis
performances, listening to records, and live music performances. Similar to music, dance also had an indispensable place in these
venues, particularly oriental belly dancing which was one of the principal attractions of immigrant venues.
Keywords: Ottoman–American music, Café aman, Coffee house

123
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
records, live music, and dance performances. Similar to music, dance also had an
indispensable place in coffee houses, particularly oriental belly dancing which was one
of the principal attractions of immigrant venues.
Toward the end of the 19th century, cafés called café amans emerged in the Eastern
Mediterranean, Ottoman port cities, and Greece. Alaturka style, maqam-based, and
predominantly Greek and Turkish music were performed in café amans. These cafés
were called café amans, which probably distinguished them from café chantants with
European-style music (Morris, 2018, s. 72–73). Another reason might have been the
extensive use of the Turkish word “aman” in lyrics.
American café amans originated in the crowded Greek colonies to continue this Old
World tradition of café amans. According to Sotirios Chianis, “[a]s early as 1910 the
café-aman and its strong traditions sprang up in numerous large urban areas such as New
York City, Boston, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Chicago” (Chianis, 1983, s. 3).
According to Steven Frangos, the number of café amans in America increased rapidly in
a decade. By 1920, every Greek colony had at least one café aman and several coffee
houses (Frangos, 1991, s. 11). In the café aman, Albanian, Armenian, Sephardic, Turkish,
Greek, and Greek–American musicians performed a wide range of repertoire. This
multi-ethnic repertoire coincided with the multi-ethnic audience of the café aman.
Café amans were also famous for their belly dancing. One such early example of belly
dancing in American café amans is the kyotchek dance. Kyotcheks were immensely
popular among Ottoman immigrants. Kyotchek troupes in America consisted of two
female dancers and three male musicians playing the violin, clarinet, and xylophone.
According to Christowe, kyotchek troupes were formed and were first presented to the
Greek audience in Chicago. These troupes signed a long-term contract to work on
Halstead Street, Detroit, St. Louis, and other Midwest cities if their performance was
appreciated (Christowe, 1930, s. 48, 74–75).
During the prohibition (1920–1933), some café amans functioned as ethnic speakeasies.
One such café aman was New York’s first café aman, Marika’s, which opened in 1925.
Marika Papagika, one of the early immigrant music stars, opened this café with their
musician husband, Gus Papagika. Although it had a short life and closed in 1929, Marika’s
paved the way for other cafés and nightclubs on the eighth Avenue. The eighth Avenue
scene was a significant element in New York’s nightlife until the end of the 1970s.

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Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021

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-
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
-
-
The Myth of the Negro Past
          -

          
-
-

    
-

         


   
-
-

         
  
-


125
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
          



   
-
 -
-
     

-
café aman-
-





         
-
concept-driven coding-
-
lama (data-driven coding



1 (Burgess, 1913, s.
-
     
-

 

126
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
-
-


-

-


café aman-
-
-
2.



-
-

-

        
1919, s. 63).
-
  
-
-
-
         
 



127
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
-
      


    




-
-
         
     



-

-
-
3
s. 62-65).
-


-
-
4
              

(Karpat, 1985, s. 185).
             


128
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021


   


-


-
-

-


   
         
-
5      

Kaf-
fenion/Kafeneion6       Srjaran 
2021a), Bulgarca kafene
7
      

             

 

      kaffenion   diner   

 

1924, s. 79).

129
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021

-
    
-
  
-

 Coffee Houses, Lunch Rooms, Restaurants8 etc   
-
-

-
cafe ve
restaurant-

-
       
           
329).
Around The World in New York 
-


-

Little SyriaWashington 
-
-
          
      Greeks in America     
           

            


130
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021


  

café aman-


9-
 

-
 10   
     
-
-

-
         

11 (Acehan, 2005, s. 88; 2010,
s. 166, 174; Wells, 1972, s. 387).


-
-
Karaghiozis (Karagiosis
ya da Karagiozi-
          

10                

11 
93).

131
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
-

-

Azk
Arevelyan Srjaran
oriental music
-

-
an12        
-


       
13
  -
       
  
-


-
    


-
12     

13      
          
            


132
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
-



-
   

-
          
-



       


-
-
-
 
-


-

  

14
jukebox) -
14   
    


133
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
-

-
-


      
1913, s. 126-127).
-
café aman
15-
Zapeion Restaurant
(New York), Acropolis RestaurantMinerva Restaurant (San Fran-
Parthenon RestaurantAfroditi Restaurant
Kentron RestaurantCulture Restaurant-
     
-
-

     


15 

134
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021


Greektown-
-
    
-
  “Greek
Kaffeneion” 


16
    
     

16         Καφφεστιατοριον   
   coffee
restaurant)

135
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021

oriental belly
dancing-

  
-
-
      
       
-
         
     

           
(prohibition agents       
speakeasy-


136
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021


Karaghiozis


-
Karagiozopechtis 
Karaghiozis-
 -
Karaghiozis-

Karaghiozis-
Karaghiozis-

137
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
Ka-
raghiozisKaraghiozis
kafenji Kara-
ghiozis-
   Karaghiozis   
-
Karaghiozis  Karaghiozis 
-
-
nan Karaghiozis  -
  
95-96).
 Karaghiozis 
Ethnic Music on Records
17
18-
Karaghio-
zis         
1219, 1225).
17 
18 
7).

138
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021

Karaghiozis
Karaghiozis 
Karaghiozis 
-
Ka-
raghiozis-

  Karaghiozis
Karaghiozis


 -
tan’da alaturka

139
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
19
cafe chantant-
café aman
  
demotic arvanitika (Ar-
-
Café aman-
          Café
aman-
-
-

-
-
        

19 Café aman,


140
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021

café aman
    
café aman -
            café
aman-
-

-

-
      café aman 
-
café aman
café aman

141
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
-

       
   
-


Café aman
     -
café aman
   

-
           

-


café aman

-

café aman kompania
Café amanlar’da 
-

           Café
aman-
Café aman


   


142
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
 
-


-


-

Kompania-
   -
   
       -
     
.
Kyotchek
-
-
20

Kyotchek  

kyotchek

-
kyot-
chek
20 Balkanlarda kyotchek   
Bulgarca’da kyotchek ya da kyuchek
       cocek, Arnavutlar
çoçek yahut çyçek       kyotchek  


143
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021

Kyotchek-

kyotchek
-
-

kyotchek
      

Kyotchek-
-

Kyotchek
       kyotchek   

-
      -
-
   
kyotchek-
-
-

          
-


-




144
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
Café Aman
           
-
-

café aman-

   
   
-


2018a, s. 122).
Café aman    
speakeasy-
Café aman
kafenion speakeasy
-
café aman


café aman-

-
café aman
café aman21.
Bu café aman       
      

21   


145
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
café aman
-

   
-
-
-
      


café amanlar,

-


-

-
-

          
-
café aman-


-
          
-
      

-
lenen Neden Geldim Amerika’ya

146
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
-
   -
-

-
 22   




 Externally peer-reviewed.
 The author has no conflict of interest to declare.
 The author declared that this study has received no financial support.

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
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
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 32(2),

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Making It in America: A Sourcebook on Eminent Ethnic Americans-
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Around the World in New York
Greek Music in America

Burgess, T. (1913). Greeks in America; an Account of Their Coming, Progress, Customs, Living, and Aspirations.
Boston, Sherman, French ve Company.
    Hellēno-Amerikanikos Hodēgos: Etos Pempton 1912 Fifth Year. New

22 

147
Avcı M.
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
Carlson, C. ve Allen, D. J. (1990). The Bulgarian Americans
Greek Music Tour-

      Greek Music in America

Outlook and Independent, 155(2), 48-49, 74-75.
Folklor/
Edebiyat, 24(93), 35-53.
       Balkan-Arts
Traditions

Resound, 8(4), 1, 3-6.
The GreekAmerican., s. 11.
Frangos, S. (1992). Yiorgos Katsaros: Last of the Greek-American Cafè-Aman Singers-

The GreekAmerican., s. 14, 19.
The National Herald, s. 1, 7.
The National Herald, s. 1, 7.
Greek Music in Ame-
rica
Greek Music in America

Analysing Qualitative Data
Greek Music in Ame-
rica
United States and Canada Greek Business Directory
Syrians in America
International Journal of Middle East Stu-
dies, 17(2), 175-209.
        

The New York Times-
  -
volved.html
Malcom, M. V. (1919). The Armenians in America
-

Torn Between Two Lands: Armenians in America, 1890 to World War I-


148
Amerka Osmanlı Dasporasında Müzk ve Kahvehaneler (1890 -1930’lu Yıllar)
Konservatoryum-Conservatorium Cilt/Volume: 8, Sayı/Issue: 2, 2021
 Greek Music in America 

Moskos, C. C. (1990). Greek Americans, struggle and success-


  -

-

-

Lidé Města, 17(2), 269-282.
-

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The Wisconsin Magazine of History, 53(3), 175-193.
Greek Music in America-

Ethnic Music on Records: A Discography of Ethnic Recordings Produced in the United
States, 1893-1942: Eastern Europe
Music Research Annual, 1, 1-24.

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
Göç Araştırmaları Dergisi, 4(1),
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
The Greeks in America
A History of Armenian Immigration to America with Special Reference to Conditions in Los
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