Culture

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Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek: from “raw, naïve and simple beginnings” to a “special” Anatolian musical jigsaw

Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek are a firm favourite on the indie music circuit with their infectious Anatolian psych-pop groove that’s heavily influenced by the likes of Selda Bağcan, Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, and Barış Manço.Music anthropologist, DJ and friend Sebastian “Booty” Carrell (B-music) introduc...

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TRT World to screen new 6-part documentary series for 40th anniversary of the TRNC

International broadcaster TRT World will be televising a new six-part documentary called The Forefront: Cyprus covering the Mediterranean island’s recent tragic past.The first episode will be screened on Wednesday 15 November 2023, a date which marks the fortieth anniversary of the declaration of th...

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New film Atatürk 1881-1919 showing at Cineworld cinemas in North London

A new historic biopic about the life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk has hit the silver screen this autumn. Starring Aras Bulut İynemli in the lead role, Mehmet Ada Öztekin’s film focuses on the years 1881 to 1919 and includes many bloody battle scenes.The film, which is in Turkish, starts with Atatürk’s c...

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See Turkish alternative rock band Pinhani live at the Islington Assembly Hall

Next year will mark two decades for popular indie rock band Pinhani. Formed by two cousins, Sinan Kaynakçı and Zeynep Eylül Üçe, back in 2004, Pinhani quickly rose to prominence in the Turkish music scene with their unique melodies and heartfelt lyrics.Pinhani were responsible for the soundtrack to...

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‘A Night of Turkish Composers’ in North London with soprano Sibel Demir

Those who attended the recent Royal Garden Hotel Kensington Ball to celebrate the centenary of the Turkish Republic will know all about the enchanting voice of soprano Sibel Demir. She wowed guests with her exquisite rendition of Turkish classical music and popular folk songs.Demir returns to the st...

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Taste of Anatolia 2023 film festival starts this Saturday, here’s everything you need to know

The fifth edition of Taste of Anatolia – Films from Turkey starts on Saturday, 4 November. The week-long festival, which this year spreads its weeks to venues in Cambridge, London, Norwich and Aylesbury, will screen a total of 54 movies, which includes 42 UK premieres.The independent Taste of Anatol...

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Get your dancing shoes on for a Turkish 90s Party in London

If you’re in London and in need of some feelgood Turkish music, then this Turkish 90s Party at The Phoenix is just for you!Expect a night of nostalgia with hit tunes from the artists who defined the golden era of Turkish music, including Tarkan, Mustafa Sandal, Kenan Doğulu, Sezen Aksu, Burak Kut, C...

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Aynur Doğan is at the Royal Festival Hall for this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival

Kurdish folk music meets a contemporary sensibility in the extraordinary vocal talent of Aynur Doğan, one of the most prominent Kurdish singers of our times.Aynur’s impressive voice and compelling gift for musical narration represent the Kurdish music heritage of her cultural roots as a global...

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Islandman: where 70s Turkish psychedelic music meets the trance vibes of Berlin

In November, one of Turkiye’s coolest exports, Islandman, will be returning to London to play Camden’s Koko as part of their European tour.Formed a decade ago, Islandman comprises of multi-instrumentalist and producer Tolga Böyük, Eralp Güven (percussion) and Erdem Başer (guitars). The three-piece u...

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Turkish singer with incredible vocal range, Cem Adrian set to play in London in April 2024

Cem Adrian is one of Turkiye’s most highly regarded artists of the new millennium. The singer-songwriter  was born with vocal cords that are three times the length of an average person's, giving him a vocal range that straddles bass to soprano.Since bursting on to the scene as part of indie gro...

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