Agora Meyhanesi - İsmet Nedim Saatçi - 20th Century Turkish Music

"Agora Meyhanesi" (Agora tavern) is a Turkish song featuring music composed by İsmet Nedim Saatçi and lyrics written by Dr. Onur Şenli. The song is set in the Muhayyerkürdi makam, a traditional Turkish musical mode, and follows the Sofyan usul, a particular rhythmic pattern. It adheres to the structured musical composition known as the "şarkı formu."

İsmet Nedim, originally known as İsmet Saatçi, was a prominent Turkish musician and composer born in Samsun on March 24, 1937. Hailing from a musical family, his early years were steeped in the world of melodies. He embarked on his musical journey studying at institutions like the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory and Yıldız Technical University's Engineering Department while receiving private lessons from renowned Turkish music maestros. His career as İsmet Nedim took flight after a series of trials and tribulations, ultimately earning him recognition as a pioneer of Turkish Light Art Music and an influential figure in the era of Turkish music featuring multiple instruments. After a fruitful career in Turkey, he moved to Berlin in 1981, where he continued to make significant contributions to the world of music, composing numerous songs and leaving a lasting legacy in Turkish music history.

Turkish Lyrics

Burası Agora meyhanesi,
Burda yaşar aşkların en divânesi, en şâhânesi.

Bu gece benim gecem, bu gece benim gecem,
Cama vuran her damlada seni hatırlıyorum,
Ve sana susuzluğumu.

Bu akşam ümitlerimi
Meze yapıp içiyorum, içiyorum, içiyor, içiyorum.

English Translation

This is Agora tavern,
Here lives the most passionate, the most splendid loves.

This night is mine, this night is mine,
With every drop that hits the window, I remember you,
And my thirst for you.

This evening, I'm turning my hopes
Into appetizers and sipping, sipping, drinking, sipping.