Şekip Şahadoğru
Şekip Şahadoğru (1932, Evci Ortakışla village – 1 December 1995) was a Turkish folk poet and minstrel (âşık) from Evci Ortakışla, a village in Çorum’s central (Merkez) district. Known by the epithet “Şah Baba,” he is remembered for songs such as “Şikayet Olmasın” (“Let There Be No Complaint”), “Menekşe” and “Dert Bende Kaldı.”
Life
Şahadoğru was born in 1932 in Evci Ortakışla village, part of Çorum’s central district. His father, Hasan, belonged to the Savurganoğulları (Savurdan) family and was himself a representative of the âşık (minstrel-poet) tradition; his mother’s name was Sultan. From age eight, Şahadoğru took saz (a long-necked lute) lessons from his father. He completed primary school in his village but did not continue his formal education, working as a farmer there until 1970. That year he settled in Çorum, where he found an environment to develop his poetry, took part in various gatherings of âşıks, and appeared on radio and television programs.
Over his lifetime he is said to have composed 396 poems, verses, eulogies and nazires (poetic responses). His poetry reflected the outlook of the Alevi-Bektashi tradition, exploring human love and maturity, and love of Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s household) as a path to the divine. Works such as “Şikayet Olmasın” and “Niye Gamlanırsın Divane Gönül” were performed by TRT artists including Musa Eroğlu, Sevcan Orhan and Nazlı Öksüz.
Şahadoğru died on 1 December 1995. He is commemorated annually through memorial programs organized by the Çorum Municipality.
For other notable figures from Çorum’s folk-culture heritage, see the History and People topic page.
Sources
- Türk Edebiyatı İsimler Sözlüğü (TEİS) — Şekip Şahadoğru
- Yayla Haber — Çorum’un Efsane Ozanı Şekip Şahadoğru Vefatının 29. Yılında Anılıyor
- Türküler.com — Ozanlarımız: Şekip Şahadoğru
- Türkü Dostları — Şekip Şahadoğru Türküleri
- Çorum Municipality — Şekip Şahadoğru Memorial Program
- Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism — Notable Figures Raised by the City