Turkey, part 1. Historic recordings.
Tonight, you will hear historic recordings from Turkey, from CDs that were released on the Traditional Crossroad label.
We start with a collection of legendary performances from the most interesting period of Middle Eastern music: 1925 Istanbul!
In that time, it was a trend to mix classical Ottoman music with popular forms such as belly dance music and folk music. The biggest celebrities from cabaret, dance and music had varying ethnic background and dominated the artistic life of Istanbul.
00:00 Istanbul 1925. Traditional Crossroads CD 4266
The oud player Udi Yorgo Bacanos (born in 1900 in Istanbul) is considered one of the founders of the modern school of the oud. Yorgo Bacanos was inspired by western polyphony, chamber music, and orchestral works. On top of that, he was a big fan of piano music. Yorgo Bacanos performed very often in Europe and the Middle East and the highlight of his career was the collaboration with the legendary Umm Kalthoum.
01:11 Udi Yorgo Bacanos 1900-1977. Traditional Crossroads CD 4287
The next CD is a compilation of Turkish female singers from the 1920s. The period 1920-1940 was a flourishing time for cabaret and nightclub music. The voices of Roza Eskenazi, Saadat Hanim, Nezihe and many others can be heard on "Women of Istanbul".
02:21 Women of Istanbul. Traditional Crossroads CD 4280
Tanburi Cemil Bey counted as one of the innovative composers of instrumental classical music from the late period of the Ottoman Empire. We will listen to recordings from 1910-1914, produced by Blumenthal Record and Talking Machine Company with Cemil Bey on kamancheh and tanbur.
03:39 Tanburi Cemil Bey. Traditional Crossroads CD 4264
The blind and famous oud player Udi Hrant Kenkulian is the Turkish equal of Segovia and Horowitz. His technical innovations have been of great influence on the generation of oud players that came after him.
04:53 Udi Hrant Kenkulian. Traditional Crossroads CD 4265
