Turkish musician crafts ney, spiritual instrument of divine sound

BURSA, TÜRKİYE - JULY 12: In the city of Bursa, Türkiye, Osman Kenarda, a 63-year-old ney player recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for his craftsmanship, has been blowing ney for 34 years. The ney is a traditional woodwind instrument that holds significant cultural and spiritual importance in the Middle East, particularly in Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and Sufi music traditions. It is believed to be one of the oldest musical instruments still in use today, with a history dating back thousands of years. His journey into music began at the tender age of six with a mandolin, and during his middle school years, he received instruction in the baglama from music teacher Ismail Ozkayacan. It was in 1990 that Kenarda first encountered the ney, learning its artistry from famous neyzen Ahmet Aktug and gaining insights into ney construction from masters Hamdi Delil and Niyazi Sayin. Beyond his skills as a ney player, since 2002, Kenarda has been cultivating reeds from Samandag district of Hatay province, drying them for three years in dark storage before transforming them into neys that resonate with a divine love. His instruments are sought after both within Türkiye and internationally. Speaking to Anadolu Kenarda emphasized the importance of being a skilled neyzen in crafting these instruments, stating, he meticulously craft each ney not merely for profit, but out of his profound love for music and the ney. “I continue to craft neys with great care not just to earn income from what I do, but because I love music and ney deeply,” he said. Kenarda highlighted the ney's unique sound, describing it as having a spiritual tone that resonates with everyone who hears it. “I believe that the sound of the ney does not belong to this world. It has a spiritual tone that resonates with everyone,” the dedicated musician said.(Footage by Volkan Bayraktar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)