Music

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Rock-dance star Bedük to make London debut with show at O2 Academy Islington

Bedük has been rocking audiences worldwide for 15 years, but surprisingly this multi-talented Turkish artist has never performed in London. All that is set to change on Thursday when the dance musician / producer / singer takes to the stage at the O2 Academy Islington. With a capacity of just 900...

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From the Brits to the BBC, see Ali Köse on prime time TV show All Together Now

  He’s been in the spotlight on Turkey’s The Voice (O Ses Türkiye) and as a London busker he brought Marble Arch tube station to a standstill following his lively set that went viral. Now singer-songwriter Ali Köse has turned judge as one of a hundred talented music professionals on BBC 1’s...

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London book launch: ‘Turkic Soundscapes from Shamanic Voices to Hip-Hop’

  If you have an interest in the history and heritage of Turkic peoples, then this new book is for you! Edited by Razia Sultanova and Megan Rancier, Turkic Soundscapes From Shamanic Voices to Hip-Hop is the culmination of a long-running project exploring the story of Turkic peoples around th...

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Review: witnessing Selda Bağcan's “universal and timeless” psychedelic folk music live at KOKO London

  I finally had the chance to listen to the legendary Turkish musician Selda Bağcan live at her recent concert at KOKO in Camden. I have known of her since my early childhood (the 90s), thanks to my parents who admire her just like many other people their age in Turkey. Today, it’s funny to...

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Preview: the inspiration behind singer-songwriter Gazel’s Books of Souls and what we can expect from her Borderline gig

Ever since I moved to London from Istanbul three years ago, I am always keen to check out Turkish origin musicians in London. I met Gazel about a year ago during one of her gigs at 93 Feet East. I didn’t know at the time that she had Turkish roots, but when I heard the melodies from Sarı Gelin I was...

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Indulge your senses with this special night of live music and painting

  It’s not often an event promoter combines amazing live music with art in a historic setting and all for a good cause, but that’s exactly what consultant Zeynep Ober sets out to achieve with Painting Meets Music. While the event name lacks imagination, the evening’s contents certainly sparkle....

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How a Turkish ambassador broke the race barrier in segregated America

Last week, a lesser known but important story broke on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It involved Turkish ambassador Münir Ertegün, who served in the United States of America between 1934 and 1944, a time when racial segregation was the norm for Americans. At the turn of the twentieth century, altho...

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BaBa ZuLa to play Kensington's Nells Jazz & Blues

  The self-proclaimed masters of 21st Century Turkish psychedelic music have forged their own path since forming in 1996. Today, they are globally celebrated as the glorious purveyors of alternative Anatolian music, their hybrid music a perfect blend of electro, dub, funk, rock ‘n’ folk....

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Indie rockers Mor ve Ötesi get ready to play the O2 Academy Islington

  Alternative Turkish rock band Mor ve Ötesi will be performing live in London tonight, Saturday 20 January. The band has been pivotal in shaping Turkey’s indie rock scene since bursting on to the scene in 1995 and the release of their debut album Şehir the following year. In 2004 they wo...

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Legendary psychedelic folk singer Selda Bağcan to rock KOKO in Camden

Iconic singer-songwriter Selda Bağcan is enjoying a huge resurgence in her career. The queen of 70s Turkish Psychedelic Rock has been sampled by the likes of Mos Def and Dr Dre, and is now a regular on the international live music circuit, exposing a new generation to her blend of Anatolian Folk Pun...

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