Âşık Mahzuni Şerif

Şerif Cırık (17 November 1939 – 17 May 2002), also known as Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, was a folk musician, ashik, composer, poet, and author from Turkey.Mahzuni Şerif was born in Berçenek village of Afşin, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey in 1940. The word Aşık preceding his name is a title used to indicate his position as a respected musician, but also indicates his affiliation with Alevism, a variety of Shi'a Islam. He became one of Turkey's best-known musical interpreters, and brought strong intellectual and social elements into Turkish folk music and folk poetry. He died on 17 May 2002 in Porz, Köln, Germany, four days after his arrival for medical care for his heart problems.