With: Olcay Bayir | Mehmet Polat | The Secret Trio.
1- Olcay Bayır
A British/Kurdish-Alevi singer-songwriter. RnR Magazine says she possesses a “heartbreakingly beautiful and emotional voice,” while the Guardian hails her as “one of the best, most intriguing singers on the British world music scene, with a style that reflects her complex history.” Her exceptional vocal ability is rooted in classical opera, in which she trained after emigrating from Turkey with her family in her teens. Although classical music enriched Olcay Bayır’s previous repertoire, she realized her destiny would eventually lead her elsewhere. Now her music is infused with personal experiences and cultural heritage, fusing the traditional melodies of her homeland with London’s modern cosmopolitan sounds that resonate with her soul. CD. TU GULÎ – Olcay Bayir. LABEL: Arc music (2024), code: EUCD2967. Video
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Mehmet Polat & Embracing Colours.
Mehmet Polat is a oud player, composer, ensemble leader and soloist who tours internationally. From Africa to India, Persia to the Balkans, from contemporary to jazz, he combines different musical genres with his Alevi spiritual, Anatolian folk and Ottoman classical music background. This new left hand technique allows him to play more advanced and modern pieces. CD. Quantum leap – Mehmet Polat & Embracing Colours. LABEL: Aftab (2019), code: MP63. Video
3- The Secret Trio.
An Armenian, a Turk and a Macedonian meet each other in New York… It is not the beginning of a joke, but a description of the meeting that ultimately led to this CD. The Secret Trio plays the oud, kanun and clarinet. They play songs that have been translated from Armenian into English, Greek and Turkish. The Turkish singer Sezen Aksu recorded several songs by the oud player Dinkjian and she can be heard on this album. She sings the melancholy ballad Benik Karanlim Yanim. The lion’s share of the material on this album is quite moody. In addition, these three virtuoso musicians easily switch between different styles. The Secret Trio skillfully shows how much the music of Armenia, Anatolia and the Balkans is intertwined. CD. Three of us – The Secret Trio. LABEL: Kalan (2015), code: 673. Video
Thanks to:
– Muziekweb Rotterdam.
– Arc Music UK
