Category: HP Culture

HP Culture
Hear the “timeless” sounds of Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek as they play London and Bristol this autumn

Critically acclaimed Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek return to Britain later this year for two concerts, giving more fans and music lovers the chance to sample their fabulous sound. Founded in 2014 and  with three albums and one EP under their belt, this modern super-quartet has been electrifying audiences all over Europe with their Turkish […]

HP Culture
Turkish folk-rock star Selda Bağcan to play Camden’s Koko this autumn

One of Turkiye’s most acclaimed artists, singer-songwriter Selda Bağcan will be back in London in November for a single show at Koko in Camden. Born in Muğla, southern Turkiye, in January 1948, the renowned musician and activist is known for blending traditional Turkish folk music with psychedelic rock, giving her songs a potency all of […]

HP Culture
Rapper Murda’s rescheduled London concert moves to O2 Forum Kentish Town

One of Turkish rap’s biggest artists Murda will finally be performing in London this December. The Turkish-Dutch rapper had been due to play the O2 Brixton Academy in February, but the event was among the concerts cancelled after the venue was closed by the authorities following the fatal crowd crush at Asake’s concert last year. […]

Books
Semra Eren-Nijhar pens two new books on Turkish Cypriot poet extraordinaire Osman Türkay

One of the foremost authorities on Turkish Cypriot philosopher and poet Osman Türkay is publishing two new books about his life and work. Author, broadcaster and sociologist Semra Eren-Nijhar has penned ‘Millennium Poet Osman Türkay’, a 272-page book in English, and another, ‘Uzay’ın şairi Osman Türkay’, in Turkish, both published by Ozan Publications. The books […]

Film
Barbie wears Turkish Cypriot-owned GINA Shoes’ pink mules in blockbuster movie

This summer’s global blockbuster movie has undoubtedly been Barbie. The fantasy comedy inspired by Mattel’s iconic fashion doll has taken over $1.2 billion at box offices worldwide, breaking multiple records in the process. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the live action movie starring Margot Robbie in the title role and Ryan Gosling as Ken starts in […]

Features
The incredible life and legacy of Erkin Koray: the godfather of Anatolian rock, 1941-2023

The term ‘musical legend’ is overused, but in the case of Erkin Koray it is entirely justified. The free-spirited, guitar-playing singer-songwriter is one Turkiye’s most significant artists of the past 60 years; a pioneer of Anatolian and psychedelic rock, the composer of some of Turkiye’s most memorable hits and, together with Orhan Gencebay, the inventor […]

Features
Music inspired by Istanbul’s “kingpins and beggars”, electro rock band Lalalar bares all ahead of UK tour

Musically impossible to pigeon-hole, Lalalar’s sound is a futuristic mash-up straddling punk rock, Anatolian psychedelic funk, and dirty electronic beats. Iggy Pop is a fan, describing them as “Turkey’s most innovative alternative artists”. The band’s name is adapted from the Ottoman word ‘Lālā’ (meaning “wise man”), used to describe the teacher of Sultans. It’s an […]