The evolution and impact of Karagöz plays’ sound in early Republican Türkiye: a focus on Hayali Küçük Ali

Abstract

This article examines the process through which Karagöz plays became recognized as cultural heritage in the early years of the Republic of Türkiye, arguing that Karagöz should be regarded not only as a visual but also as an auditory form of heritage. By analyzing the role of auditory components in cultural continuity and transformation, the study aims to reconsider definitions of heritage through the lens of sound. It investigates how state policies, technological developments, and ideological shifts reshaped Karagöz performances in the transformation of their musical and sonic elements into cultural heritage, and how these changes influenced the case of the puppeteer Hayali Küçük Ali. As part of the research, two musical pieces selected from the Karagöz repertoire and Küçük Ali’s performances of Aşıklık and Salıncak plays were taken as case studies; transcriptions of archival recordings from Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) were compared with Cevdet Kudret’s written texts. The analysis was conducted within the framework of parameters such as character voicing, musical elements, auditory environment, improvisation, comedic devices, ideological reflections, and contextual relations. The findings reveal that sound functions both as a medium of transmission and reproduction, and that cultural memory is shaped within these auditory sites of remembrance. The modernization of Karagöz unfolded through a sound-centered logic of adaptation, evolving into a multilayered auditory heritage extending from radio broadcasts to digital platforms. Thus, the plays have undergone a sound-oriented reinterpretation in terms of both performance and preservation. In conclusion, this study foregrounds the auditory and musical dimensions of Karagöz to examine the relationship between performance memory, ideological transformation, and technological mediation, inviting a reconsideration of the notion of an “auditory Karagöz heritage” in relation to cultural transmission and representation.