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+--- Thread: Tracing a song's origin (/showthread.php?tid=143111)
Tracing a song's origin - Thunderer - 09-10-2016
There is a certain haunting melody that sneaks around many countries in various parts of the world, like the smoke of nargileh through the centuries that gallop through the ancient chambers of a mosque. Despite this, the song dissents the peoples more often than it unites them.
I won't name it because I don't know which name is correct. There are many versions. In fact, I think it is the 2nd most spread tune in the world, after "Happy Birthday". This is the Serbian version:
After a long search, I have concluded that this song probably traces back to Istanbul of the 1850-s, from the Crimean War. At the time there were many Scottish soldiers stationed in the city, from Britain, Turkey's ally. Allegedly, the Turks liked their folk music, and made the song called Katibim (or Üsküdara gider iken) after a certain Scottish tune. About 50 years later, musical watches became popular in the city, and many were imported from Britain. Some played the Scottish tune. The Turks immediately recognized it and dubbed them the "watches on the theme of Katibim". That is when the song became popular. This means that the similarity between the two tunes should be easy to spot.
I am searching for the origin of this song, and I can't find the Scottish folk tune/march. Does anyone recognize it?
tl;dr: Know a Scottish tune that sounds similar? Please post it here, thank you.
Additionally, I've also found clues that there is a much, much older Jewish tune that sounds very similar. It would be awesome if someone knew it, as that would be the oldest known similar tune, and probably the song's origin. Perhaps it is also similar to the Scottish one, but the Jews have been spread all across the old world since 71 AD, and possibly had some influence on music. If not by that, then by the Crusades.