This course explores the emergence of Turkish psychedelic rock within the global psychedelic moment of the 1960s and 1970s, tracing how musicians drew on historical poetic traditions while engaging with worldwide experiments in sound and counterculture. We begin with the medieval context of Anatolia and political resistance to Ottoman authorities and examine how this literature and history shaped the sonic vocabulary of 1960s artists such as Selda Bagcan, Cem Karaca, and Mogollar. We then analyze how electrified folk, political lyrics, and hybrid aesthetics articulated new visions of modernity in a changing Turkish society. Throughout, we situate the Turkish case within the Middle East and broader global developments, including youth movements, anti-establishment politics, and censorship. By working with music, historical texts, and cultural theory, students will investigate how sound becomes a site for negotiating identity, power, and belonging. For the final project, students will write and produce a radio essay that will be broadcast in collaboration with WESU 88.1FM. |