There’s already a huge buzz among London’s Turkish community about pop star İlyas Yalçıntaş, as he prepares to make his debut appearance in the capital on Sunday 13 October. The singer-songwriter from Erzincan amassed a huge fanbase after appearing on a national television talent contest in 2014....
Oriental dub legends BaBa ZuLa’s extraordinary live performances are a legend unto themselves. By mixing traditional instruments such as the darbuka, electric saz, and spoons with electronics and dub, BaBa ZuLa create a unique sound. Known as the “Kings of Istanbul psychedelia”, their style of ‘rock...
A former X Factor Turkey [Star Işığı X Factor] finalist and favourite to win before the channel took the show off air, pop star İlyas Yalçıntaş’s electrifying performances on national television and song writing ability proved his star quality. His debut single, İncir, which he had penned and san...
Blessed with a heavenly voice, Olcay Bayır has been singing for as long as she can remember. She was born in Gaziantep to a Kurdish Alevi family steeped in the âşık (wandering minstrels) tradition, and her career as a classically-trained singer-songwriter is a perfect marriage of her roots and globa...
On their debut album ‘On’ (Bongo Joe Records), Altın Gün showed what happens when you open doors between Turkish folk songs on the one hand and a dirty blend of funk rhythms, wah-wah guitars and analogue organs on the other. The Amsterdammers who come from various backgrounds (Turkish, but also I...
Not seen live in the UK since Wembley Arena 2008, after a long break Tarkan is set to return to Britain to light up the stage at the Apollo Hammersmith on 6th October. For those not familiar with the multi-million album selling megastar, Tarkan was born in Alzey, Germany, on 17 October 1972. One...
Olcay Bayır's music is a natural marriage of her time-honoured Anatolian heritage and the vibrant, eclectic sounds of London. Classically trained in the UK as a soprano, collaborations with musicians from all around the world have informed Olcay’s music as much as the rich folk traditions of her you...
Habibi Funk returns for his quarterly residency at the Jazz Cafe in early August with guest selector Kornelia Binicewicz aka Ladies On Records. Originally from Krakow, Poland, anthropologist turned DJ Kornelia has been living in Istanbul since 2015, where she has been curating an incredible colle...
House-heads are slowly but surely discovering the sublime music of Aleksandir, the Istanbul-born DJ, producer and co-founder of label Artesian Sounds. The rising star, who spends part of his time in London, has been in demand ever since his debut album The Turtle Nipper (Blind Jacks Journey) dr...
It’s a warm weekday lunchtime in May when I meet Hassan Redif (aka Hass or J Junior) and Bekir Remzi (aka Ramsey) in the bar of Trent Park Country Club, located at the far end of the Piccadilly Line in Oakwood. The pair are relaxed and in casual attire, with Ramsey tapping at his watch and tutting a...
