Organonscape, Geography, and Aural Spaces of Kemençe in and around Trabzon

Abstract

The kemence instrument is a crucial part of daily life in the Eastern Black Sea region's culture. Besides the performance of the kemence, other instruments, dances, and the ideological discourses associated with the instrument show us how local people interact with the landscape of the Eastern Black Sea region. This study examines the space of kemence by considering its complex cultural relations in and around the province of Trabzon. We use the concept of organonscape to analyse the space of the kemence through considering the geography and spatial features of the instrument. This concept shows that instruments are important determinants of performance and are created to mark a fluid space in relation to landscape. As a result, the organonscape of the kemence contains musical practices and shapes the ideological construction of landscapes as spaces where the kemence is performed.