The second part of the 19th century was a period of reconstruction for the Ottoman state. The Ottomans tried hard to revive their ancestors' golden era by mixing continuing domestic values with adopted innovations from the West to survive in a new world. Their main concern was modernizing the army and the taxation system; however, fast cultural transformation also accompanied governmental changes.The arts, especially poetry and music, became a part of this cultural transformation. Being significant individuals among the Ottoman elite, poets and musicians easily adapted to governmental changes, and most had access to Western social facts and art pieces."Muzıka-i Hümayun" (the royal band) stood at the center of the transformation of music. Financed by the palace, the "Muzıka" gathered many young, talented musicians together; thus, providing them with an optimal environment where they could progress in their art."Muzıka" continued the master-apprentice tradition of Turks, and young apprentices became old masters in time. For example, the famous composer Hacı Arif Bey was the master and supporter of Şevki Bey, one of the most loved composers of Turkish classical music.Early lifeŞevki Bey was born in the "Pirinççi Sinan" neighborhood of Fatih, old İstanbul, in 1860. His parents were moderate Muslims. His father Ahmet Efendi was a comb maker. Yet, his family had enough urban awareness to make him attend a "rüştiye" (secondary school) after graduating from the "Mahalle Mektebi" ("neighborhood school," equivalent to elementary school). His family supported him as he learned music from Necmeddin Bey, a clerk in the Ministry of Commerce.After graduating from the rüştiye, young Şevki was admitted to the Muzıka-i Hümayun thanks to his beautiful voice. His siblings were also very good at music. His elder brother "Tarakçızade" (son of comb maker) Mustafa Servet Efendi had composed several pieces. Servet's daughter, Şevki's niece, Nazire Hanım, was a "kanun" (Turkish box zither) teacher.Şevki Bey's wife Melek Hanım was also a musician. She played kanun, as her husband played and sang at palace gatherings with significant musicians, such as Hacı Arif Bey, Medeni Aziz Efendi and Mehmet Suphi Bey, and poets, such as Mehmet Hafid.Şevki learned the precise details of Turkish classical music by practicing with great masters, like Hacı Arif Bey. Hacı Arif took special care of Şevki. There is continuation between their artistic creations, though Şevki had a much more pathetic mood than his master.DolorousŞevki Bey had a melancholic nature, as alcoholism affected his pathetic character. Biographers tell us that Şevki started drinking after he became a regular singer in the chorus in the Sultan's palace. I don't think this was the real cause. He didn't like the luxurious life of the palace, as he was a dolorous man and inclined toward alcoholism from the start. A newspaper reported his death, saying, "He was a master of music, though continuously drunk."After a while, he left his job at the "Muzıka" because he was very bored with the formal, royal circle. Being sentimental and intimate in nature, Şevki couldn't cope with royal discipline.Due to his links to the Muzıka, he became a clerk in the Customs Office where he worked until his death.Master of maqamsAlthough a famous singer of his day, his real career was as a composer of "şarkı," Turkish classical song. He's accepted as one of the two masters of the "şarkı" form in Turkish classical music (the other being Hacı Arif Bey). Şevki Bey is said to have been a natural born composer. He could compose new songs in half an hour after reading the lyrics. Sometimes, he could compose eight songs in a day, and it's possible that he composed more than a thousand songs, many of which are lost since the Ottomans generally didn't write down the notes of the songs they sang. Happily, 233 songs by Şevki Bey were written down with notes. Whenever a classical singer wants to show his or her skills, he or she sings a Şevki Bey song.His friend, the poet Mehmet Hafid, collected and published Şevki Bey songs. Yet, Mehmet Hafid published the lyrics of 308 songs, although notes for 75 songs are missing.Composer for loversŞevki Bey loved the "uşşak" (lovers) maqam, which has a very melancholic tone, and is said to have composed over 200 uşşak songs. His songs are generally very short, mostly "murabba," which are four lines. Yet, he also composed longer songs having up to eight lines. Often, he preferred to compose for poems written by famous poets of his day, such as Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem and Muallim Naci.Composer and singer Şevki Bey died in 1890 at age 30 in a friend's house. He is buried at Nakkaştepe Cemetery in Üsküdar, on the Asian coast of the Bosporus.