Tangents Turkey Music Tour May 2 - 18, 2008

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Tangents Music Tour Update (continuously revised)

It has been exciting and gratifying to see the evolution of the Tangents Turkey Music Tour over the last three years. The tour is acknowledged by Turkish media, travel writers and its music industry as the only one of its kind.  They are appreciative and supportive. While recently in Istanbul, I was invited to a breakfast get-together that included the editor of the English language edition of Time Out Istanbul, the city's top entertainment guide. She was impressed with Tangents and the Turkey/Armenia music tour.  Time Out's November issue profiled me in its music section. Read the interview here.

The Tangents Turkey tour concert track record speaks for itself. Many of the 2007 tour acts are described in the itinerary.

A highlight for many on the 2007 tour was the Hidrellez Roma Festival which is a wild and fun event. Among the groups who may be performing at Hidrellez '08 are: brass band Kocani Orkestar from Macedonia, famed percussionist Burhan Ocal and the Trakya All-Stars, Buzuki Orhan Osman (who blew me away during Hidrellez '07), the Dhoad Gypsies of Rajastan where the Roma originate and the world renown Balkan remixer and accordionist DJ Shantel.

While in Istanbul this past October I planted several promising seeds.

There's a good chance my favorite singer in Turkey, Sabahat Akkiraz, will perform at her home for the spring '08 Tangents group.  Should this happen, Sabahat and the Akkiraz clan will also prepare a home cooked meal for us.  The last two Tangents tours have included a house performance with family prepared meals, and I want to continue this tradition.  Sabahat is the most popular Alevi singer in Turkey. 20% of the Turkish population is Alevis whose traditions are markedly different from the majority Sunnis. (For example Alevi men and women pray together.)

The 2007 tour saw Sabahat perform in an Istanbul club.  Her brother has become a good friend and gave me an excellent recording of that concert that I play on Tangents.

Sabahat has a new CD that I like very much:Turku Hayattir

**The 2007 and 2006 house concerts were with the Sufi duo, the Erdemsel Brothers.

Legendary jazz drummer, instrument builder/inventor and composer Okay Temiz has agreed to a combination talk/performance/workshop at his studio.  Okay is a jazz pioneer who has brought not only Anatolian traditions into jazz, but also African and Indian.  He recorded with Don Cherry and also toured extensively with South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim.  Okay left Turkey when it was under military rule and jazz was discouraged.  The jazz scene is much improved but there isn't a lot of home grown talent outside of Okay, Aydin Esen and a few others.  Okay's studio is in Istanbul right by the landmark Galata Tower.  He is one of the most unusual people walking the earth.  The 2007 tour saw Okay perform in a small ensemble with an African kora player.

Okay has lots of recordings.  This one is Anatolian/Roma (Gypsy) Jazz:  Magnetic Orient

(link also has an excellent bio)

I picked up an amazing CD during the May '07 Turkey tour that by Çağlar Namlı that inspired me to learn more about this artist.  He built a one-of-a-kind baglama type instrument that can be viewed and the CD La Luna may be purchased.

Çağlar Namlı is an inventive and versatile solo artist.  I'm pleased to report that his spring '08 Istanbul Tangents concert seed has been planted.

One of my favorite bassists performed in Istanbul during my visit.  Renaud Garcia-Fons plays a 5-string double bass and has a sublime touch.  His music is pan cultural with an Andalusian flavor.  I recommend Alborea, although you can't go wrong with any of them.

During Renaud's concert he dedicated a song to a Turkish kemençe (violin family) artist named Derya Türkan who I had not heard of.  After the concert, I introduced myself to Renaud and he in turn, introduced me to Derya.  I learned that Renaud and Derya had recently recorded a CD "Minstrel's Era".  One of my favorite Turkish labels (kind of the Arhoolie of Turkey) is selling Minstrel's Era for $9.00

Derya generously invited me to a concert he had the following evening on the Asian side of Istanbul.  Along with class of 2006 Turkey music tour alum Alexandra (who has since moved to Istanbul), we ferried in the pouring rain and saw the performance.  Derya is a virtuoso on kemençe.  We spoke after the concert and I asked if he knew of Ross Daly who I thought would be an ideal collaborator.  Little did I know that they had already performed together!  Derya gave me a copy of an unreleased live recording of what I believe is a nine piece kemençe ensemble.  Suffice it to say a fertile seed was planted that evening for Derya to perform during the spring '08 tour.  Coincidentally, later that week I hooked up with Ross Daly during the WOMEX conference in Sevilla.

At the WOMEX music conference in Sevilla Ross Daly's ensemble performed a showcase and we connected afterwards.  Ross is one of my favorite cross-pollinating musicians and is an astounding multi-instrumentalist specializing in the Greek Cretan lira.  He also plays hundreds of instruments primarily from India, Turkey, Greece, Afghanistan, and Iran.  Ross will try to set up a concert in Istanbul while our group is there.  This will be a coup if it happens.

Recommended CD: Iris

The WOMEX music conference featured about 50 concerts over 4 days/nights. The consensus showcase may have been the Istanbul based Taqsim Trio featuring clarinet, qanun, and baglama (saz).   They have an ethereal sound that results from seamless improvisation. These guys have been friends since childhood and were also part of Laco Tayfa - a Roma (Gypsy) jazz band that put out two excellent cd's. I met with the qanunist and their record label/management. They will try to book Taqsim Trio during the Tangents tour. This band will likely break out in 2008 and be a hot band on European tours and festivals. The 2007 Tangents tour saw one of the first public concerts by Taqsim Trio.

Taqsim Trio Debut CD:Taqsim Trio

This gives you an inside look into the anatomy of a Tangents music tour.  As the seeds mature and more developments happen, I will keep you posted.  Exciting times!

peace,

Dore