World music comes to Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Eleftheria Arvanitaki.

The second Istanbul World Music Festival WOMIST 2011 begins today at the Fulya Art Center with an opening concert by Argentinean and Uruguayan artists’ “Tango Negro Quartet,” which brings together traditional tango with modern jazz.

Organized in collaboration with the Istanbul Municipality and Pi Production, the event will host artists from 10 countries including Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, France,

Algeria, Uruguay, Greece and Turkey.

At the festival, Amira, a soloist from Sarajevo, will perform two concerts. One of the most popular artists among Bosnian young people, Amira will perform her song collection, which has gone beyond the borders of Bosnia and Balkan countries in recent years and reached European festivals. She will take the stage Dec. 9 at Kartal Bülent Ecevit Culture Center and Dec. 19 at the Bakırköy Cem Karaca Culture Center.

World-renowned Greek folk singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki will be on stage at the TİM Maslak Show Center on Dec. 13. Performing since the 1980s, she presents traditional and modern Greek music and has lots of followers across the world. Among her unforgettable performances were the concert she gave for the pope in Rome and the song she performed at the Olympic Games closing ceremony in 2004.

Soloist from Azerbaijan

The Fatih Ali Emiri Culture Center hosts famous Azerbaijani soloist Sevda Elekberzade on Dec. 14. Garnering attention from her jazz performances all around the world, she formulates a unique synthesis of Eastern and Western music.

Among the most famous accordion artists in the Balkans today, Bulgarian artist Martin Lubenov will take the stage Dec. 15 at the Fulya Art Center. His Jazzta Prast Orchestra, founded in Austria, is one of the indispensable orchestras at international festivals. Lubenov is one of the leading masters in world music; his rich repertoire mixes Balkan, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Greek, Turkish and Roman folklore.

The WOMIST 2011 closing concert Dec. 19 at the Caddebostan Culture Center will present Algerian and French artist Françoise Atlan and Turkish Özlem Taner. Atlan was schooled at the conservatory in piano and musicology and went on to perform concerts in many countries, from Japan to Spain. In addition to Arab-Andalusia and Sephardic songs, she sings in Mediterranean languages. At her Istanbul concert, the artist will perform a program titled “The Soul of Granada” with Algerian musician Fouad Didi.
Another artist at the closing concert, Taner represented Turkey last month at WOMEX 2011, World Music Fair in Copenhagen. Her album “Türkmen Kızı” is one of the most popular albums in Britain and among the top five albums selected by BBC radio. The concerts at the venues in Kartal, Bakırköy and Fatih are free of charge. Tickets for other concerts are available at Biletix.