On Monday, 30 March, the UK’s Turkish community was rocked by news of the death of popular musician Doğan Ahmet. The founder member of legendary Turkish pop-folk band Konkurt died of coronavirus a day after being admitted to North Middlesex Hospital, in North London, aged 72. Twenty-four hours later, the community was in shock when […]
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 Ebru’s […]
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 wasn’t long […]
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 serving up a tasty mix of mellow electronica and dance beats with […]
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, several compilations and EPs have followed, each providing a slew of number 1 […]
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 the UK Official […]
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. With its central location as a passage […]
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 eclectic compositions that draw from the rich musical heritage of Anatolia, […]
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 collected or created over the years. A unique talent, he can transform even the […]
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 and flamboyant stage costumes, […]
