Music from Turkey with the Secret Trio | Derya Türkan & Robbe Kieckens | Mustafa Kandirali.
I– The Secret Trio. (22:55 min)
An Armenian, a Turk, and a Macedonian meet in New York. It is not the beginning of a joke, but a description of the encounter that ultimately led to this CD. The Secret Trio consists of Ara Dinkjian (oud), Tamer Pinarbasi (kanun), and Ismail Lumanovski (clarinet). Ara Dinkjian is the doyen of the trio. He made a name for himself as a songwriter, whose songs were translated from Armenian into English, Greek, and Turkish. The well-known Turkish singer Sezen Aksu recorded several of Dinkjian’s songs and can also be heard on this album. She sings the melancholic ballad Benik Karanlim Yanim. The Secret Trio skillfully demonstrates the extent to which the music of Armenia, Anatolia, and the Balkan region is intertwined.
CD. Three of us – The Secret Trio. LABEL: Kalan (2015) code: 673. VIDEO
II– Derya Türkan & Robbe Kieckens. (18:53 min)
Derya Türkan’s melodic, serene playing is very soothing. For decades, this Turkish kemençe player has been acclaimed worldwide for his sublime playing on the three-stringed Turkish fiddle, which is played between the legs with a bow. The instrument has a beautiful dark sound, making the music come across as melancholic. Derya Türkan enjoys collaborating with musicians from all musical styles, from classical to modern improvisation. This album was recorded in just a few hours in a small church in the Walloon countryside. Derya Türkan’s playing was spontaneously and subtly accompanied by Belgian percussionist Robbe Kieckens on tombak and bendir.
CD. Istanbul kemençesı ; vol.2 – Derya Türkan & Robbe Kieckens.
LABEL: Seyir Muzik (2024) code: 2GNO23. VIDEO
III– Mustafa Kandirali. (17:38 min)
Mutafa Kandirali (1929) is regarded as one of Turkey’s most important clarinetists. With his sixty-year career, he is undoubtedly a grey eminence in Turkish music. This album tells the life story of Mutafa Kandirali in music and words. After moving to Istanbul, he rose to become a nationally known star. Kandirali’s music is not limited to that of his native region of Kocaeli. He also plays melodies from Anatolia, Thrace, and the Balkans—all regions that once formed part of the vast Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kandirali’s work has had a major influence on the current generation of popular Turkish musicians.
CD. Mustafa Kandirali. LABEL: Traditional Crossroads (2007) code: 1302-2. VIDEO
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