Selânik Türkülerinde Aşk ve Hasret - Love and Longing in Thessaloniki Folk Songs

Folk song is a folklore product that is sung with various tunes and generally shows anonymity. They reach the generation from generation to generation, which conveys that individuals in the community live or feel in the face of events. Thus, folk songs created by previous generations can find something from themselves in new generations. The folk songs reflect the problems of individuals in society and their solutions to these problems, and the impact of social and political events on society. The city of Thessaloniki, located in the Rumeli region, is a city known for its folk songs. While love and longing are among the most studied topics in Thessaloniki folk songs, the suffering and longing folk songs that the people experienced as a result of the “exchange” took their place. Moreover, tobacco cultivation, which had a large share among the livelihoods of the people of Thessaloniki, was also reflected in the folk songs. The traditional way of life in folk songs still exists today. In this continuity, folk plays an important role.