The rhythmic clang of hammers echoes through an Istanbul workshop as three craftsmen transform featureless bronze discs into prized handmade cymbals.
First used by Ottoman military “mehter” bands to frighten and demoralise enemies, cymbals were later transformed by 17th-century Armenian alchemist Avedis Zildjian.
Although cymbals existed before him, Zildjian developed a unique alloy and metal-treatment process that made them less fragile. His achievement won recognition from the Ottoman sultan in 1623 and permission to establish a workshop.
“It’s really hard to make good cymbals because they’re consistently being crashed, so to make something that wasn’t brittle which could withstand continuous use is quite an achievement,” said ethnomusicologist Audrey Wozniak.
The secret passed through generations. Although the original Zildjian operation moved to the United States during the final years of the Ottoman Empire, craftsmen trained by its masters continued the tradition in Istanbul.
Today, the city remains a centre for cymbal production, with several brands using techniques developed more than four centuries ago.
“We are producing 100-percent handmade cymbals with traditional methods, without using electricity or gas, only coal and wood,” said Mehmet Ozturk of Bosphorus Cymbals, where production can take up to a week.
Most cymbals begin as copper and tin melted into bronze, poured into moulds and cooled into disc-shaped blanks. Workers repeatedly heat the blanks in a furnace and pass them through a rolling mill to compress and spread the metal before tempering it in water.
“Every stage is crucial,” said master cymbalsmith Hasan Seker, 56, who co-founded Bosphorus Cymbals in 1996.
“We use copper and tin and one more ingredient which is secret. Even though it’s in very small quantities, it gives the cymbal a different character in terms of consistency and sound.”
After its raised bell is punched out and its shape cut, the cymbal undergoes the essential hammering process.
“Not a single blow is random,” Seker said. Variations in each craftsman’s strikes create the darker, more complex tones prized by jazz drummers.
“In a way, he gives the cymbal its soul,” he said.
At Istanbul’s Nardis Jazz Club, drummer Derin Bayhan said he uses locally made cymbals because each has a unique sound.
“Even if you bought two from the same series, the same weight and structure, the two cymbals wouldn’t perfectly match,” he said. “Because it’s handmade, it’s basically an adventure.”
“So you search for one and when you find it, no-one else will have it: that sound is yours.”
Jazz historian Berk Ozler said this individuality explains their lasting appeal.
“Mass production started when Zildjian went to the USA whereas the ones that stayed in Istanbul were handcrafted and still are,” he said. “Jazz musicians chase after that uniqueness so that’s why they are very valuable.”— AFP
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