Folk singer Bağcan to perform in London

ISTANBUL

Singer Selda Bağcan will perform for London Olympics arts and culture events.

Selda Bağcan, a prominent figure in the Turkish music scene, will perform in London during the 2012 Olympic Games, making an appearance at Queen Elizabeth Hall Aug. 2 as a part of the Meltdown Festival at Southbank Centre.

Bağcan is going to London to sing at this year’s Meltdown Festival at Southbank Centre, which is being directed by Antony Hegarty, the lead singer of Antony and the Johnsons. According to Hegarty, Bağcan is Turkey’s Edith Piaf. Bağcan will be the only Turkish singer performing at the festival. Her music has recently been sampled by bootleg dance producers 2Many DJs and hip-hop artist and producer Mos Def, gaining her international exposure.

Since 1993, some of the world’s most distinguished musicians have been guest directors of Meltdown. From John Peel to Massive Attack, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Morrissey and more, Meltdown has given seminal artists the chance to choose their own favorite artists to play and exhibit their work at Southbank Centre. The New York Dolls reunited for Morrissey; Jeff Buckley played his final UK show at Elvis Costello’s Meltdown; Nick Cave, Grace Jones and Pete Doherty sang Disney songs with Jarvis Cocker; and Patti Smith performed her album “Horses” in full for her Meltdown. This festival brings legendary artists to Southbank Centre for a very special week of one-off performances.

Bağcan will appear at the festival together with Joan as a Policewoman, Laurie Anderson and Cocorosie. The festival will also host performance artist Marina Abramovic, a native of the former Yugoslavia. Abramovic’s 40-year career included a 2010 retrospective at MoMA, “The Artist Is Present,” at which she performed for 736 hours. Abramovic will be performing at Meltdown on Aug. 4. Abramovic is currently developing her Institute for Long-Duration Performance in Hudson, New York.