Yusuf Nalkesen

  Composer (B. December 1923, Üsküp – D. January 1^st, 2003, Izmir). In his childhood, he immigrated to Izmir from Üsküp with his family. Thanks to his showing an outstanding success throughout his primary and secondary school years, he entered Balıkesir Necati Bey Erkek Muallim School without examination. In those years, he never missed the radio broadcasts of TRT and the music concerts that the musicians gave in the cafes where they visited. Then, he was appointed as a teacher in Tutak district of Ağrı province. In his teaching years, he learned to play the lute, and in time he managed to perform the most difficult instrumental works. He did his military service in Istanbul, at that time he found the opportunity of meeting the well-known lute performers and singers of that time.

  Nalkesen passed the instrumental artist exam of İzmir Radio and became a member of TRT staff. He used to go to school in the morning and perform in the evening. He regarded the years between 1952 and 1973 as the years when he was no longer a listener but a performer, and he focused on composing in those years. He revealed the composition of the poem Veda Busesi by Orhan Seyfi Orhon, which he composed when he was at teacher’s training school (1951). After this composition that received appreciation of millions of people, he composed many compositions like Saymadım Kaç Yıl Oldu, İçimdesin, Söylemez mi Bestem?, Seninle Bir Sonbahar, Kimi Dertten İçermiş, Yalan Değil, Avuçlarımda Hala Sıcaklığın Var, Kapın Her Çaldıkça, Gitmek mi Zor?, Madem Küstün, Dargın Ayrılmayalım, and O Ağacın Altı.

  In April of 1970, he retired from teaching. He was given the title of the state artist by the Ministry of Culture, in 1998. The musician, who got married to Meliha Nalkesen in 1948, was the father of four children whose names are İnci, Süleyman, Ebru and Selçuk. On the 1^st of January, 2003, he passed away in Izmir.

  MAJOR COMPOSITIONS OF HIM:  Bilir misin a sevdiğim nedir benim tek dileğim (Acem Kürdî), Gül yüzün ipek saçın acep şimdi ne haldedir (Evcara), Bir gün karşılaşırsak ayrıldığımız yerde  (Hicaz), Yalanmış yeminlerin git işveni ellere sun (Hicaz), Sen gideli kaç bahar oldu bak vefasız yar (Hicazkâr), Bu tesadüf benim için dünyalara değer (Hüzzam),  Hadi ben öfkemi yenemedim de  (Hüzzam), Bir uzun rüyadır hayat dediğin (Karcığar), Kaçsan da sen uzaklara olsan bile ellerin (Karcığar), Artık benim bu şehirde son günler son demimdir (Kürdi hicazkâr), Avuçlarımda hala sıcaklığın var inan (Kürdi hicazkâr), Diller döküp peşimden dolaşma beyhude sen (Nihavent), Maksadım birazcık yine naz yapmaktı (Nihavent).

  BOOK: Gönül Bahçemdekiler - Bestelerimin Güfteleri (1979).