The Negotiation of the Balkan Identity in Izmir Çamdibi Immigrants

Abstract

Even though the “immigrants†who are ethnically from the various countries and regions of the Balkans define themselves with a general statement of “Balkan immi-grantâ€, this statement stresses out various ethnicities. The separation and unification in this is important such that it emphasizes the variability of the limits of identity in defining one’s self. These intertwined limits bring together a debate from the viewpoint of the continuity of identities. The answer given to which identity will be taken upfront and which will be subordinated deter-mines the track of the relationship between the individ-ual and the society with which the individual interacts. The identity debate that appears as a multidimensional phenomenon determines the image of the individual in this aspect. Music is encompassing besides being de-terminative. Çamdibi region in Izmir where a vast ma-jority of Balkan immigrants live also harbors many musical groups. The¬se groups differ in terms of in-struments and performan¬ce. Wedding performances have brought along competition. On the one hand musi-cal groups named as orchestras and on the other hand groups that have emerged with various names have become both rivals and have also complemented them-selves. Orchestras and other groups can perform to-gether especially at the weddings of Macedonia immi-grants. Orchestras using traditional instruments and other groups are indispensable parts of transition peri-ods such as weddings, circumcision ce¬re¬mo¬nies, mili-tary service farewells. In addition to this, the immigrant institutions also organize special nights that host these musical groups and create a common per¬ception bind-ing the participants to their common past. In this aspect, the selection of songs that reminisce of the “old days†play a binding role in the patterning of cultural identity. This article will try to understand the identity debates of the Balkan immigrants in the Izmir city Çamdibi ex-am¬p¬le using observations and interviews with musi-cians.Even though the “immigrants†who are ethnically from the various countries and regions of the Balkans define themselves with a general statement of “Balkan immigrantâ€, this statement stresses out various ethnicities. The separation and unification in this is important such that it emphasizes the variability of the limits of identity in defining one’s self. These intertwined limits bring together a debate from the viewpoint of the continuity of identities. The answer given to which identity will be taken upfront and which will be subordinated determines the track of the relationship between the individual and the society with which the individual interacts. The identity debate that appears as a multidimensional phenomenon determines the image of the individual in this aspect. Music is encompassing besides being determinative. Çamdibi region in Izmir where a vast majority of Balkan immigrants live also harbors many musical groups. The­se groups differ in terms of instruments andperforman­ce. Wedding performances have brought along competition. On the one hand musical groups named as orchestras and on the other hand groups that have emerged with various names have become both rivals and have also complemented themselves. Orchestras and other groups can perform together especially at the weddings of Macedonia immigrants. Orchestras using traditional instruments andother groups are indispensable parts of transition periods such as weddings, circumcision ce­re­mo­nies, military service farewells. In addition to this, the immigrantinstitutions also organize special nights that host these musical groups andcreate a common per­ception binding the participants to their common past. In this aspect, the selection of songs that reminisce of the “old days†play a binding role in the patterning of cultural identity. This article will try to understand the identity debates of the Balkan immigrants in the Izmir city Çamdibi exam­p­le using observations and interviews with musicians.