After debuting at the recent Turkish Theatre Festival, staged at Millfield Theatre, directors Katharina Reinthaller and Barış Celiloğlu bring their adaption of Ariel Dorfman’s award-winning Death and the Maiden / Ölüm ve Kız to the Arcola next Sunday. The powerful play was penned in 1990 in the wake of the brutal Pinochet regime in […]
This Wednesday, join drummer Tansay Omar’s band Funkshy for the official launch of their latest album A London Rhythm. The mid-week party takes place at the newly opened Five Miles club in North London, with live music from the band, special guests and DJs to keep everyone locked to the dance floor. The event […]
A new exhibition titled Illumination of Miniature and Watercolour opened at the Yunus Emre Institute London last week. Works on show are by six graduates from the Marmara University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, who have interpreted traditional Turkish arts and watercolour painting with a modern perspective. A spokesperson for the Institute said, “Traditional arts […]
Today Turkey commemorated Mustafa Kemal’s landing at Samsun, on the Black Sea, on May 19, 1919, which marked the start of the Turkish War of Independence. The war lasted four years, during which time the Turks managed to expel numerous foreign powers that had invaded their territory, among them Britain, France, Italy, Greece, and Armenia. […]
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rarely out of the news. Beyond the headlines are a host of human stories, people trying to not only survive military occupation, but move beyond it. How do young people caught up in the conflict see the situation? Do they try to resist it? Run away? Give up? What do […]
After two successful dates, Turkish classical music has clearly found a new home in Honor Oak, South East London. Top Turkish singer Sezar Uğur Soy presents another fabulous Fasıl Night at Hattush Restaurant this Friday with renowned musical duo Hüseyin Cemgünal (keyboards) and Ercüment İbrahim (violin). The Turkish eatery has become a firm favourite […]
It’s only taken 19 years for me to see İlhan Erşahin live. I discovered him by chance while living in Istanbul in the late 90s, after picking up a copy of his Wax Poetic Three album in 1998 from a record store in Beyoğlu. His music was by far the coolest thing I’d heard […]
A concert not to be missed performed by two master musicians specialising in the finest traditions of Ottoman classical music. Highly acclaimed Cypriot violinist Michalis Kouloumis shares the stage with distinguished Turkish oud player Baha Yetkin. Together they present a selection of early modern music that was popular in the Ottoman court. The aesthetics […]
The city of Istanbul inherits its name from the Greek “Eis tēn polin” meaning ‘into the city’. Born in Istanbul, Barlas Tan Özemek’s music revolves around this evolving metropolis. Strumming on his guitar, this modern-day Aşık or troubadour tells tales about his native Turkey, its people and culture in these volatile times. Barlas’ powerful lyrics […]
For centuries Armenians and Turks lived side-by-side. But horrific events in the Ottoman Empire particularly during the First World War had a catastrophic impact that turned kindred spirits into bitter enemies. Today, a friendship between Armenian duduk player Vardan Hovanissian and his musical soulmate, Turkish saz player Emre Gültekin seeks to overcome a multitude […]
