Anahtar
is the Turkish word for 'key' and this project, not unlike the city of
İstanbul Turkey, is like a doorway between East and West. Award winning
Canadian musician and composer Andrew Downing has, for the last few
years, been spending time in the great city of İstanbul absorbing the
culture and the music. In the Spring of 2013 he was there studying
centuries-old Ottoman/Turkish 'Makam' music and collaborating with ud
(Turkish lute) player Güç Başar Gülle (with assistance from the Canada
Council for the Arts). During his stay he happened to witness the 'Gezi
Park' protests and subsequent violence that will change Turkey forever.
These life-altering events inspired a series of compositions about
İstanbul and its great mosaic of cultures, beliefs and people. The music
combines East, West, old and new, and is styled after Makam music but
with some Western performance sensibilities and forms. He recorded the
music with Güç, kaval player Ömer Can Satır, percussionist/tabla player
Gürkan Özkan and saxophonist Serhan Erkol.
http://www.gucbasargulle.com/
http://www.gucbasargulle.com/
