Alongside the tulum, the second great instrument of Lazistan is the kemence (Lazuri: cilili), the slender bowed fiddle of the eastern Black Sea.

A bowed fiddle like no other

The Black Sea kemence is instantly recognisable by its narrow, bottle-shaped body and long neck, carved most often from a single piece of plum wood, with a soundboard of pine or fir. It has three strings, usually tuned in fourths, and is held upright on the knee or in front of the body and played with a short bow. Its bright, nasal, slightly buzzing tone is the voice of countless Black Sea melodies.

Shared across the coast

The instrument is played by the Laz, the Pontic Greeks (who call it the lyra) and the wider Black Sea population. Its history reaches back to the Byzantine era, and the name itself comes from a Persian word meaning “little bow.” A skilled kemence player (kemenceci) is still a respected figure in Laz communities.

The engine of the horon

More than a concert instrument, the kemence drives the horon. Its relentless, repeating figures set the tempo for the dancers, often together with the tulum. Musicians such as Birol Topaloglu have worked to record and preserve this repertoire for new generations.

Learn more: Kemence of the Black Sea on Wikipedia.

Image: a Black Sea kemence, by Arent, CC BY-SA 3.0.