Music

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Ebru Ellis has a new single Running out. Here’s 5 things you need to know about her

Without a doubt, Ebru Ellis has talent. Yet the 31-year-old singer from South London is still waiting for her big break. Earlier this month, Ebru dropped her new single Running, an urban pop song that has been on repeat on my MP3 player ever since. It has a brilliant uplifting beat and shows off...

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Star drummer Tansay Omar on Funkshy’s new single DrumsRoot, the music business, and coping with the coronavirus crisis

Tansay Omar has music flowing through his blood. The South Londoner picked up his first drumsticks as a child, playing pots and pans. By thirteen he had his first drum kit. Three years later, he was a member of Turkish wedding band Dalgalar, performing with them most weekends until he was 21. It was...

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London first stop for electronic trio Islandman’s mini European tour

UPDATE, 12 March 2020: This event has been postponed due to the Coronavirus   Istanbul based musician/producer Tolga Böyük set the wheels in motion for Islandman, a fictional character composing musical stories about a non-existent place… On stage, Islandman is an electro-acoustic trio s...

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London’s O2 Forum the next stop for superstar Ferhat Göçer

Artist Ferhat Göçer continues to defy expectations. The 49-year-old doctor-turned-singing sensation first burst onto Turkey’s musical scene in 2005 with his self-named diamond-certified debut release, and has remained at the top of the Turkish music charts ever since. Nine more studio albums, sev...

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B Young scores third Top 40 hit with new release Wine

B Young has seen his new single Wine enter the British pop charts at number 35. It is the third hit single for the young British born Turkish Cypriot rapper from Hackney, East London. The slow-tempo song has already chalked up over 1.3 million views following its release on 13 February, entering...

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Gaye Su Akyol deserves her success as she follows in the footsteps of her rebellious predecessors

In almost every speech, Gaye strongly asserts she’s fighting the “Geography is destiny” saying, aphorised by Ibn-i Haldun in the 14th Century. Is this a pertinent remark for Turkey and Turkish artists? In a way it is. Turkey has had many economic, social and geopolitical issues over the years. Wi...

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Olcay Bayır takes her ‘Dream for Anatolia’ on mini tour of Britain

Olcay Bayır’s music is a natural marriage of her time-honoured Anatolian heritage and the vibrant, eclectic sounds of London, which she now calls home. Of Turkish-Kurdish origin, her contemporary sound blends elements of folk, jazz and urban music with evocative vocal deliveries through original ecl...

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Competition: win a pair of tickets to see the legendary Okay Temiz live at the Jazz Café

Turkish jazz legend Okay Temiz brings his iconic Oriental Wind Ensemble to Camden’s award-winning music venue Jazz Café for an extremely rare London appearance. The classically trained multi-instrumentalist has been performing professionally since 1955 on musical devices that he has either collec...

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Review: 5 stars for Barış Manço tribute night – London’s newest annual tradition!

On Sunday, 19 January, a packed house at Camden’s Jazz Café celebrated the music of Barış Manço – one of the godfathers of Anatolian Rock. This legend, who passed away 21 years ago today (1 February 1999), had a profound influence on Turkish culture. Known for his long hair, prominent jewellery a...

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Band of Burns: Dila Vardar and friends set for UK tour to celebrate the philosophy of Robert Burns

Next week, 12 incredible artists from Britain’s folk and world music scene will be touring as part of Band of Burns. There first stop is Union Chapel in London, on 23 January, with additional dates in Glasgow, Dumfries, and Bristol. This unique collaboration includes Dila Vardar of Dila V and The...

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