Turkish rock bands to perform on US tour

NEW YORK

In its fourth year, Istanbulive will bring together Turkey’s renowned rock bands on a US stage and present diverse live music. Hürriyet photo

The fifth edition of Istanbulive, a series of concerts featuring Turkish musical performers in the United States, will begin on March 7 with shows by Turkey’s most popular rock bands.

The tour, sometimes called “the Turkish Woodstock,” will travel to Washington, New York and Boston before making its maiden appearance at South by Southwest, a set of film, interactive exhibits, and music festivals and conferences in Austin, Texas.

Istanbulive 2013 will feature Turkish rock groups Mor ve Ötesi, maNga and gripin as well as the New York Gypsy All Stars, an international band of musicians from Turkey, Greece, Macedonia and the United States.

Istanbulive is an all-day showcase of Turkish music launched in 2009. Produced and presented by Serdar İlhan and Mehmet Dede, the event is supported by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry. The event brings together one of the largest-ever assemblies of musicians from Turkey on a U.S. stage and presents the most diverse live music the nation has to offer. In its first fours years at the Central Park SummerStage and Lincon Center, over 20,000 people enjoyed the sounds of Istanbulive.

Esteemed festival in showcase format

Nearly 20,000 people have attended the four installments in New York rain or shine since 2009, and now fans in Boston, Washington and Austin will experience the New York-born festival in their home cities. The four-date tour will wrap up with a pivotal showcase, dubbed the Turk Rock Fest, at one of the largest music festivals in the U.S., SXSW.

“For years we have produced U.S. tours with Istanbulive alumni like MFÖ [Mazhar-Fuat-Özkan] and Hüsnü Şenlendirici after they made their debut in New York. The idea now is to present this esteemed festival in a showcase format, put it on the road and introduce the new wave of Turkish rock sounds to tastemakers, fans, industry and media at SXSW,” İlhan said. “This unique package features Turkey’s top rock bands, including Mor ve Ötesi, maNga, gripin and the NY Gypsy All-Stars.”

Eighteen major Turkish artists including Eurovision contest winner Sertab Erener, pop-rock stars MFÖ and Turkish folk legend Zülfü Livaneli have so far played at Istanbulive. The festival receives excellent reviews in the U.S. press, and fans regularly drive from Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and Toronto for the annual gathering.