Sounds like an evil villain don't it? Zabita. Well it just basically means council police. They're my archnemesis in Turkey. The police don't care about me playing music. The Jandarma don't either. But the Zabita. They care because they want to assert their authority and treat you like a criminal for playing music on the street.
It doesn't matter if you have three shop owners and two independent people and people putting money in while we're all having an argument with the Zabita about who the laws were made for and that it doesn't apply to me. The Zabita are there to ruin the party.
When the Zabita finish their work shift then the music can be free again. This is at 12pm when all that is left is the dreggs of the night.
Why am I a criminal for playing music on the street?
The same thing happened in Barcelona, laws were made specifically to stop gypsies who played and attracted crowds and then there were people pick pocketing the crowds. Barcelona had such an amazing street music scene I'm told by a couple of dinosaurs from yesteryear. One blanket law later and it's strangely quiet on the streets of Barcelona.
Not many notice when there is an absence of something they take for granted but when you have a traveling musician suddenly playing on a street, then shop keepers and people come out to welcome them. Not many would be aware of the actual laws that stop the music.
Yes, there are people that use music as a begging tool, playing some popular tune on a melodica over and over again. And those kids make a buck!
But no, they should not make a law to stop ALL music.
And if it's not laws, it's permits.
And well, I'm not getting a permit. I'm gonna be at a place for three days.
It's one reason why I loved Istanbul so much (not Kadikoy, not anymore, shame) because there was a feeling of unboundlessness. I didn't make so much but I was accepted and allowed and I played my own original music a lot. I felt free with my energy because I wasn't constantly looking out for who would stop the music. And if someone did have a problem they were normally very polite and it wasn't an issue to change something. Music, as a musician, is NOT a competition. I do play some popular songs for a buck but I put feel into them. I feel all the music I play. Otherwise I wouldn't be playing it.
Kadikoy now requires permits and the Zabita materialise out of nowhere to let you know this.
There are occasionally shop owners that don't like the music, and don't like it no matter what it is because it is uninvited. And sure, there's times when we are to blame for all the world's problems because we are the sore thumb that sticks out. Well, I can't do anything about that. But when I play on the street and I have EVERY shop owner come out and give me something and even people around the corner I can't even see, sitting outside their shop and watching like it's a concert and then the Zabita come along and say no.
There's a problem here folks.
Democracy is when the people decide what is law collectively.
And you might say, well, democracy don't exist in Turkey.
Well, it's in many western developed countries, not just Turkey. This creeping normality of things like music on the street becoming a criminal act.
It doesn't stop me playing, I still need money. This is what I do. So I get stopped, sometimes numerous times by a Zabita or equivalent.
The music must go on, the energy from my music is stronger than any law or permit system.
I don't use an amp anymore. I'm a pretty good volume. I respect the people around me and I cater to their needs. It's important to retain longterm rapport. We work together to make it work for everyone.
Despite this, I still love Turkey, I love the way the people do things together and treat each other like family even if they're not.
Let's keep music free on the streets.
I'll go back to Izmir to make the rest of the money I need to get to Athens there. I'll have to dodge a couple of Zabita there but not as bad as here in Cheshme. I always get what I need, no problem. I'm just having a rant. I am priveledged to be able to make a living from my art and get away with it in a system that tells you, you can do it and it's possible but it's really not. Not realistically, not for normal living circumstances with all the normal things normal people need. I understand not everyone can do it like me and just say fuck the system. But hey, I encourage people to have a go.
Let's notice what goes missing in society that we take for granted, because there are creeping laws and policies that are blocking out life. We need life.
Sterility is not life. Let's keep things organic.
In love,
Monty
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