What would you say about your gramophone records and musics recorded on them?
There are about 30 special records for children’s gramophones. There are also the first records of many music artists including Hafiz Burhan, Safiye Ayla, Deniz Kizi Eftelya, Münir Nurettin Selçuk, Yesari Asim Arsoy, Muzeyyen Senar, Hamiyet Yüceses, Zeki Muren and Abdullah Yuce, as well as many valuable records including the 10th Year Speech with the voice of Ataturk, the composed and non-composed versions of the Turkish National Anthem, and many other precious records such as the call for prayer in Turkish by Hafiz Saadettin (KAYNAK)’s voice, and 16 pictured records that are rarely found. Approximately 4.500 gramophone records, most of which belong to esteemed hafizes and artists from Turkish Art Music, about 350.000 gramophone needles, as well as related affiches, brochures, souvenirs and many record sleeves are included in his collection.
Well, Mr. Raif, what is the difference between gramophone records and pick-up records?
Gramophone records fall into a different category. In other words, they are records of the ’78 Period. They can normally be played only by gramophones. Besides gramophones, they can be played also by special production pick-ups and those pick-ups that have an option for the ’78 Period records. However, the sound quality of a gramophone record played by a pick-up is lost by approximately 40% compared to being played by a gramophone. Because, the needle has to change each time you want to listen to a new record by a gramophone due to its technological nature. That needle is made of steel. As for pick-ups, however, they have an electronic system and only one needle can play thousands of records when external factors are excluded. So the ’78 Period records are gramophone records. 33’ records named “Long Play” and small records named 45’ are pick-up records and can be played only by pick-ups. (They cannot be played by a gramophone.)
Quite a rich collection, well, do you exhibit and share this property of yours?
Absolutely, for example, in April 2009 I held an exhibition named “THE VOICE COMING FROM THE PAST” at a shopping center called CEPA for 17 days for those who love gramophones and gramophone records. It was my first exhibition; however, on the other hand it has been the second exhibition of the Republic of Turkey in that regard.
How was the people’s interest in the exhibition?
I can say the exhibition drew great attention. During the exhibition every day at noon times and evenings live gramophone records were played, and 100.000 people visited the exhibition for 17 days the exhibition was open, and 4320 of the visitors wrote their thoughts and feelings in the exhibition notebook. After that we moved the exhibition to Kahramanmaras for a second exhibition. And there, too, we got very happy to know that 5000 people visited the exhibition in 10 days.
Well, how the visitors’ profile in those exhibitions?
Those who visit such collection exhibitions are likely to be people in their middle age or later. However, we very clearly saw that gramophones and gramophone records do not attract the attention of only the middle-aged and older people, unlike supposed to be so. When the visitors’ age distribution was analyzed, we saw that the number of the young people, including the elementary school children, was very close to that of the middle-aged and older people.
Thank you very much, Mr. Raif, for the information you have shared... Let the music be always with you...
Raif Kara opened www.gramofonkoleksiyoncusu.com his collection online to the visitation of those who are interested.