Unlike the slower, more sensual Çiftetelli of the Arabic world (which often lingers on the Rast or Bayati modes), Sen’s version is quintessentially Rumeli (Thracian/Turkish Balkan) in its energy. It is not a dance of slow undulations; it is a dance of quick hip movements, finger snaps, and smiling exhaustion. If one were to transcribe the core theme of “Şen Çiftetelli,” one would notice a fascinating hybridity. The piece typically opens with a dramatic, descending taksim (improvisation) on the piano—an impossible feat for a saz player, but Sen uses the sustain pedal to create a resonant, watery effect. He lands on the Hicaz tetrachord (a scale characterized by a lowered second and lowered fifth, giving a “Phrygian dominant” sound: D - Eb - F# - G).
Furthermore, the piece represents a rare moment of in Turkish music. Much of the classical fasıl repertoire is melancholic ( hüzün ), dealing with lost love or existential longing. Sen’s piece has no melancholy. It is pure rhythm, pure şen . In a culture that reveres sadness ( hüzün ) as a high aesthetic, Ibrahim Sen’s “Şen Çiftetelli” is a populist rebellion—a reminder that the Anatolian spirit also knows how to laugh. Legacy: The Digitized Folk Hero In the 21st century, “Şen Çiftetelli” has found a second life. With the advent of YouTube and streaming, Piyanist Ibrahim Sen’s grainy, mono recordings have become viral sensations. Turkish wedding DJs sample the piano riff. Young bateri (drum) students learn the pattern by ear from Sen’s records. The piece has even crossed over into global “Oriental dance” playlists, often mislabeled as “Arabic Belly Dance,” to the chagrin of purists. PIYANIST IBRAHIM SEN - Sen Ciftetelli husnusen...
But just as the listener settles into this exotic modality, the Çiftetelli rhythm kicks in, and the harmony shifts. Sen introduces over the Eastern bass. For instance, while the left hand hammers the D (as the karar or tonic), the right hand plays a Bb major arpeggio, then an F major, creating a tonal ambiguity that is neither purely makam nor purely Western. This is the signature of the “Turkish Piano” style: polytonality born of necessity, as the piano’s equal temperament fights against the microtones of the makam . Unlike the slower, more sensual Çiftetelli of the