Updated January 28, 2012
2012 tour sold out in 12 days!
For the first time the tour will be 17 nights (previously 16) as we add the ancient town of Mardin and the Kurdish spiritual capital Diyarbakır to the itinerary.
Despite an extra night cost is comparable to the 2008-2010 16 night tours.
The 2012 cost is as follows:
Early Bird rate (through February 15): $4000
Regular rate (through April 15): $4300
Late Rate (until departure): $4500
As always, there will be a minimum of 10 concerts during the tour.
An orientation for all interested in the 2012 Tangents Turkey Music Tour is tomorrow, Sunday January 8 from 5p-8p. If you plan on attending, please rsvp asap to tangentsturkeytour@gmail.com or phone 415 584-4367. The location is near a BART stop in San Francisco and there is also plenty of parking. I'll send directions to folks who RSVP. If you live outside the Bay Area or cannot attend, contact me and we'll set up a separate meeting in person, via phone or whatever makes sense.
My partner Clara and I recently spent an adventurous 2+ weeks in Istanbul and also the eastern part
of Turkey including Urfa, Mardin and Diyarbakır. We wanted to experience a part of Turkey that was new to us. I also wanted to see if the Tangents Turkey Music Tour itinerary could expand eastward
and reduce tour cost by moving it to November.
Mardin was the highlight for me. It's an ancient town perched on a mountain cliff and its stone architecture is stunning. The old town area has one narrow street and is surrounded by little alleyways reminiscent of Old Jerusalem. Clara and I also hooked up with wonderful young musicians at a late night women's collective cafe who put on an impromptu performance. With this serendipitous discovery and the beauty of ancient Mardin, it is a no brainer to add it to the 2012 tour.
Another musical highlight occurred in Diyarbakır. At times Diyarbakır felt like a different country. There
is no doubt that if the Kurds had a homeland, Diyarbakır would be its capital and spiritual center. Turkey travel writerand dear friend Pat Yale suggested we seek out the Dengbej Evi in old town Diyarbakır to witness the dying oral tradition of dengbej. While in the courtyard of the famous Olu
Camii Mosque, a man was pleased to hear of our interest in dengbej. He took us deep into the old
town maze where we visited the Dengbej Evi (house) inside a Kurdish Cultural Center for seniors. It is
a vocal tradition that is disappearing as only old men perform it. They do it amongst themselves everyday (except Mondays) at Dengbej Evi. We arrived late in the day and the men were mostly gone. But two kind men assembled in a small room and each performed dengbej for us - some of the most riveting and unusual a cappella I have ever heard. Darkness was descending as this section
of the city had an electricity outage so I did not get sharp photos nor was able to record. However, I bought three dengbej cd's (one of which is on sale here) and while not precisely what we heard, are certainly unusual and worthwhile. The Guardian UK newspaper on December 30 had an excellent article about the Dengbej House in Diyarbakır.
Diyarbakır is only 90 minutes from Mardin and both have airports. The plan is to include both places on the 2012 tour and take a day or two away from Istanbul.
One thing is for sure - the tour cannot be in November. It is too dang cold. Temperatures in
Cappadocia for example hovered between 27 and 39 Fahrenheit, and snow is always a possibility. Therefore, the 2012 Tangents Turkey Music Tour is Sept 23 - Oct 10, typically beautiful weather.
There has been tremendous interest already and my sense is the 2012 music tour will sell out. The maximum group size is 17* not including Tangents or associated staff.
*It may be 18 if a couple wishes to join when we are at 16 persons.
There is nothing like traveling to an exotic culture and experiencing its music. The Tangents Turkey Music Tour has evolved into an extraordinary music/cultural adventure that includes 10 concerts in 16 (or 17) nights. The artists are among Turkey's finest and the music spans a wide range:
Roma (Gypsy) ◊ Sufi ◊ Anatolian jazz ◊ Anatolian folk ◊ Tangential Turkish fusion ◊ Ottoman classical
The concerts take place in various settings. The venues include living room like concerts, clubs resembling the Great American Music Hall, formal venues akin to Davies Symphony Hall, a wondrous cave concert in otherworldly Cappadocia and a fun percussion clinic at legendary Okay Temiz's studio. We often hang out with the artists whether dining with them or meeting before or after concerts.
The itinerary features three hubs: Istanbul, Cappadocia and Sirince (near the Aegean and Ephesus), with Mardin and Diyarbakır added for the 2012 tour. Check out testimonials for personal accounts from participants.
Songlines is a top UK based world music magazine. Its on-line version featured a high profile endorsement. Its editor is Simon Broughton who is also co-editor of the Rough Guide to World Music and a noted documentary filmmaker.
This is what Simon posted on the Songlines website about the Tangents Turkey Music Tour:
"There are few countries as spectacular as Turkey for history and
hospitality, for landscapes and food, and for magnificent music. We've
been wanting to develop a Turkish music trip for a while but, to be
honest, it would be pretty hard to beat the itinerary that Dore Stein
has put together for Tangents."
"Rather
than set-up a Songlines Music Travel trip in competition, I think it's
better to recommend a top-quality alternative. I've known Dore for
several years, we've discussed Turkish music and he's refined this trip
over five years building-up relationships with many of the best
musicians like clarinetist Selim Sesler, Alevi singer Sabahat Akkiraz
and instrument inventor and percussionist Okay Temiz..."
Below are four
noteworthy media links: (all live links)
SF Chronicle story about transformational experience of 2009 Tangents Turkey alum Ron Scudder
Article in Istanbul's most prominent newspaper, The Hurriyet Daily News
Interview in Timeout Istanbul, Istanbul's widest read English only entertainment guide
Profile by Tom Brosnahan, Turkey's dean of travel writers + curator of Turkeytravelplanner.com
Tangents Turkey Music Tour CD Sampler is yours for the asking
Tour
information is linked near the top and bottom of this page including
testimonial and itinerary pages, along with philosophy, accommodation
and fine print.
You can reserve a place on the waiting list by sending a $500 deposit which is fully refunded if no space emerges by Aug 1.
Space occasionally opens due to traveler(s) canceling due to sickness, etc.
Make payment to
"Tangents Radio" (checks or bank transfers only)
send to:
Dore Stein/Tangents Turkey Music Tour
301 Gambier St.
SF CA 94134
*All payments are fully refundable if
dates change or tour is cancelled.
People who have joined these music tours have had transformative experiences.
Alexandra Ivanhoff:
"This tour changed my life, and it was completely unexpected. The Tangents Tour was a great group of witty, smart, and cultured people whom I still miss seeing every day. Together we heard fantastic music, enjoyed some of the best food on the planet, and saw a country whose history is a multi-layered tapestry of civilizations. And as aresult of the tour, I made many friends and professional connections in Turkey that will allow me to pursue my future life there—and my original plan was to live in Paris! That's how good it was."
Grassroots word of mouth is the best form of promotion. If you know someone who may be interested, pass the word.
I'll leave it to Mark Twain to get in the last word:
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."
peace through travel and music,
Dore
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photo courtesy Steve Basile
copyright Tangents 2012
Tangents Turkey Music Tour
10 Concerts in 17 Nights Next Tour: Sept 23 - Oct 10 2012
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