Ankara ready to become capital of Jazz

ANKARA

As a tradition, the Turkish Air Force’s orchestra Eagles of Jazz will give the opening performance of the Ankara Jazz Festival once againt this year

The 17th Ankara Jazz Festival will kick off tomorrow. Until June 25, the event will host 25 concerts by many jazz artists, six from abroad, in various venues in the city. This year, the festival theme is “Vocal.” This is why the event will present vocal concerts.

In the opening at MEB Şura Hall, the festival tradition will not be broken; the Turkish Air Force’s Eagles of Jazz Orchestra will greet jazz lovers with a magnificent concert.

At this year’s concert, a parade of stars will be accompanying the Eagles of Jazz. These stars include a musician and an academic who sets his heart on jazz as a vocalist and trombonist Aydın Kahya, a voice that evoked admiration with the Jazz Istanbul albums Jülide Özçelik, an award winning jazz star who graduated from Berklee College of Music summa cum laude student Meltem Ege, one of the first names that comes to mind among jazz musicians in Turkey and the pride of Ankara Sibel Köse, a world-known improvisation master Yıldız İbrahimova, and a vocal merging her mastery in acting with music Zuhal Olcay.

Dolce Vocal Jazz Trio is a group well-known in Ankara with their polyphonic arrangements of jazz standards, which they perform with choreography accompanied by orchestra. Their diverse repertoire ranges from 1940’s Andrews Sisters’ songs to gospel and musicals, to group members’ own arrangements. Dolce is preparing to create for the festival audiences a high-energy and fun jazz atmosphere. The trio will take the stage on at 9 at Samm’s Bistro.

Şenay Lambaoğlu will take her place among the strong female vocals of the 17th International Ankara Jazz Festival with a concert at the same place on May 14.

The festival will host one of the highly adored artists in recent years, Jehan Barbur. With her free open air concert on May 19 on Armada Hayat Sokağı, also the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day will be celebrated.

A well-known name to Turkish audiences, Pink Martini will take the stage this time for the 17th International Ankara Jazz Festival on May 22 at Congresium Ankara with the fascinating vocals of China Forbes and the world premiere of their brand new songs.

The splendid gift from Portugal to the world of jazz, talented songwriter and jazz musician Luisa Sobral will be in Ankara for the first time. Her live performances full of her soft voice; peaceful, romantic and authentic style and positive energy evoke admiration all around the world. She will be on the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) stage on May 28.

Another world star in the 17th International Ankara Jazz Festival will be tenor Raul Midón, one of Arif Mardin’s last discoveries. The one-man band, Midón will perform at ODTÜ on June 10.
On June 13, CerModern will host Ntjam Rosie. Rosie, who assembles the rhythms of her motherland with Western tunes like soul and jazz, is preparing to meet the Ankara audience with her admirable colorful performance at an open air concert.

Aga Zaryan will be one of world stars that the festival brings to Ankara for the first time. Jazz lovers will see her on the festival stage within the scope of the celebration events of the 600th anniversary of Turkish-Polish Relations. The concert will be on June 12 at ODTÜ.

Torsten Goods, a guitarist in the way of George Benson, a vocalist that merges jazz and soul, is among the names the festival is bringing to Ankara for the first time. He is going to color up the festival with his enveloping stage performance on June 4 at If Performance Hall.

Closing in carnival mood

The festival will end on June 15 in a carnival mood. The Kerem Görsev Trio, which was warmly applauded in previous festivals, and Ayhan Sicimoğlu will be taking stage together this time with their latest project. They will be accompanied by one of the beloved vocalists of Turkish jazz Elif Çağlar and the new vocalist of Latin All Stars, Suami Ramirez.

Ayşegül Kuş Durakoğlu & Görsev, along with Sibel Köse, A Capella Boğaziçi, Ülkü Aybala Sunat Band, Karsu Dönmez, Boğaziçi Jazz Choir, Pınar Dönmez Band, Dilek Sert Erdoğan, Şirin Soysal & Bora Çeliker with Janusz Szprot Trio, Ece Göksu & Neşet Ruacan, will be among the other performers at the festival.