David Dalle
Thursday August 31st, 2023 with David Dalle
A Turkish lament against war; Mevlevi Sufis; Kudsi Erguner
I have immersed myself in Turkish music this past week, listening to both modern Turkish music rooted in traditional music, and a superb live recording of traditional Mevlevi Sufi music, which I surprisingly have not featured on my show in well over a decade. We will begin with Turkish-Belgian singer Melike Tarhan. Her debut album "Macar", which tells the tale of a young Turkish man, Macar, who is sent off to war in the Gallipoli campaign during WWI, with songs sung from three perspectives, that of Macar, his beloved, and his mother. It begins and ends with laments from the mother. Besides the presence of Turkish songs, there are traces of Arabic, Jazz, and Brazilian influences.
| Macar I Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| Emirdagi Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| Nazife hamim Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| Yarali ceylanim Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| Bulbulum altin kafeste Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| Sen varsin Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| Iki keklik Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| Icimde bir kosede Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| Macar II Melike Tarhan - Macar - Long Distance |
| This second set will be centred around a recording of Mevlevli Sufis based in Konya, an order founded by followers of Jalāl al-Dīn Muhammad Rumi after his death in 1273. This is a superb and powerful performance recorded at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. During the first half of the performance the intensity increases in distinct sections, much like a step pyramid. Once it reaches its peak, the music relaxes and a vocal soloist enters and sings passionately. The intensity increases steadily once again until the music reaches its final transcendent peak. The whirling dancers are accompanied by the deep and resonant kudum kettledrums, ney, kanun, and chorus. We will also hear from the great Turkish master Kudsi Erguner in one of his most interesting albums "Islam Blues" which is jazz music rooted in the Sufi Mevlevi musical traditions. |
| Sema The Whirling Dervishes of Konya - Hamdulillah - Fes Festival of World Sacred Music vol. 2 - Sounds True |
| One Word Kudsi Erguner - Islam Blues - ACT Music |
| Moonrise Kudsi Erguner - Islam Blues - ACT Music |
| Unknown Taqtouqa Al Jabaliyya - Hamdulillah - Fes Festival of World Sacred Music vol. 2 - Sounds True |
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Wonder-filled program as always David. I just love the sounds of vocals in Turkish (and Urdu, and Arabic and Farsi). So aurally poetic. If only I had any idea what they were saying. But really, the meaning is clear ... it is sung in music. (Missed a bit due to errands .. OnDemand later)
3:20 PM, August 31st, 2023