The many versions of Haydar Haydar

Haydar Haydar, composed by Ali Ekber Çiçek in the 1970s and known to be one of the most complicated pieces written for the bağlama has inspired many a muscian over the past decades.

It takes talent and hard work to learn and master the song on any instrument. The fast pace and the changing irregular rhythms can set the listener into a trance-like ecstatic state. Beyond talent, it takes courage to reinvent the most complicated song ever written for the bağlama for the 21st century: a 17-minute progressive and hypnotic masterpiece and tour de force by Cem Yıldız, the instrument is played by a virtuoso, the looping vocals make the poem all the more powerful as if you could feel the writer's journey to achieve eternal and sacred knowledge.

Many thanks to Cem Yıldız and Ayşe Acar for helping us understand the music and lyrics of the song.

We have listed some of our favorite versions below:

Ali Ekber Çiçek - Haydar Haydar

Haydar Haydar arranged by Carlo Domeniconi and played by Julia Schüler on the guitar

Cem Yıldız - Haydar Haydar

Atilla Engin - Turkish Showbiz (might have been inspired by the original version)

Djouma Soundsystem - Les Djinns (Trentemøller Remix)