Music producer from Dersim dies of heart attack at 57

Duvar English - Ezgi Sivrikaya / DUVAR

A famous music producer from the eastern province of Dersim, Hasan Saltık, died of a heart attack in his Bodrum residence on June 2, his family said.

Owner of record label company Kalan Müzik, Saltık was best known for his wide network of artists in the business, and the emphasis on diversity in his work. 

"I extend my condolences to the whole Saltık family and his loved ones. May his time last eternally," wrote artist Ferhat Tunç on June 2. 

"I have no words to express the pain I'm experiencing. I'm sending him off to Istanbul from Bodrum now," songwriter and Saltık's close friend Gülten Kaya told Gazete Duvar.

Guitarist, composer and producer Şevket Akıncı said that Saltık was a huge asset to Turkey, noting Saltık's efforts to popularize the musical heritage in the country through his meticulous archiving. 

Saltık was the one who saved Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) archives from getting discarded and also the one who helped iconic Turkish folk singer Neşet Ertaş with copyrights, Akıncı said. 

"The Culture Ministry hasn't done as much as him for the cultural heritage of this land. We learned about dengbej, the Yazidis, the Assyrians and female folk singers from him," Akıncı said. 

The owner of Ada Müzik label company, Bülent Forta, also said that Saltık had worked extensively to publicize musical cultures in Turkey not just through his production, but also through publications and fieldwork. 

Saltık founded his record label Kalan Müzik in 1992 and released music from private archives, mostly local artists who sang in their native tongues or dialects. 

Member of folk music ensemble Kardeş Türküler, Vedat Yıldırım said that Saltık would live on in the lives of countless musicians whom he had protected for years. 

"Goodbye, our whimsical producer. Oxir be xalê Hesen..." Yıldırım wrote.