Three Girls: Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek with "Üç Kiz Bir Ana"

Combining Anatolian folk with modern grooves, and hints of psychedelia, jazz and funk, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek provide a fresh new take on on Turkish music with a fresh electrified and danceable sound. The group is led by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Derya Yıldırım, whose voice conveys both melancholy and desire. The band plays new interpretations of old classic Turkish songs, but they also perform their own compositions as well as improvisations. You can find this song, Üç Kiz Bir Ana, as a single released in 2018.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://earthbeat.nl/artist/derya-yildirim-grup-simsek/

No Show: Alihan Samedov and "Sen Gelmez Oldun"

Today's random tune is from an Azerbaijani artist named Alihan Samedov. Known for playing wind and other Azerbaijani folk instruments, Samedov came from a musical family and completed his music education at two Azerbaijani music schools. Among the wind instruments he plays are balaban, clarinet, tutek, zurna, oboe and saxophone. He is also a chess master and instructor, as well as the current music director of the Kadıköy Folklore Education Centre in Istanbul. He was also the person in charge of Azerbaijani music at Samanyolu TV's (STV) Music and Entertainment Programs before the Turkish government closed the station in 2016 for alleged links to the Gülen Movement which the government has blamed for organizing the attempted coup d'etat in 2016. You can find this song, Sen Gelmez Oldun, on his 1997 album The Land of Fire, on his 2014 album Balaban (in two versions, no less), and on the various artists compilation Turca Lounge, Vol. 1 (2007). The song's title translates to "you did not come."

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alihan_Samedov

You're Flawless: Emrah and "Kusursuzsun"

From Putumayo Presents: Turkish Groove (2006) comes today's random song by Emrah, a singer and actor of Kurdish origin. A pop star in Turkey from the age of 13, Emrah became known for Arabesk songs that were high on sentimentality and themes of grief and suffering. He was the first Turkish artist to fill the Inönü Stadium in Istanbul (50,000 seats), has appeared over two dozen films and has been in nine television series, including some in the leading role. As he grew older, his pop became lighter and this song, Kusursuzsun (Acoustic Version) is an example, which first appeared on his album of the same name in 2004. The lyrics say "Believe me, you're perfect, you make me wild. It is impossible to say no to you. What kind of being are you? My soul is shaking."

Here is Emrah's music video that goes with the non-acoustic version of the song.



Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emrah_(singer), Putumayo Presents: Turkish Groove liner notes

Cross Cultural Through Time: Yinon Muallem and "Klezmer for the Sultan"

Yinon Muallem, an Israeli-Iraqi musician who developed an affinity for music from the Ottoman Empire, brings us today's random tune called Klezmer for the Sultan. Born in Israel to Iraqi parents, Muallem first began learning percussion, but began studying the oud after being exposed to Ottoman music. In 2002 he moved to Istanbul and performed with the Istanbul Sazendeleri ensemble, as well as beginning to create cross cultural musical experiences and concerts between Israeli and Turkish musicians. He also organized a concert featuring musicians from many different cultures and countries who were living and making music in Istanbul. Muallem hosts his own world music radio show on Acik Radio Istanbul, and has written music for films made in Turkey, Israel, Germany and Italy. You can find Klezmer for the Sultan on his 2005 album of the same name.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: http://www.schwarzfoundation.com/en/samos-young-artists-festival/concerts-2017/archive/archiv16/musiker-2016/yinon-muallemen.html

Cinematic: Selim Demirdelen and "Mo Şibi Hat Aito"

Turkish director and composer Selim Demirdelen brings us today's random tune, called Mo Şibi Hat Aito. Raised in Istanbul, Demirdelen studied film at New York University, and then finished with a Masters degree in Cinema and Television at Bilgi University. He soon won prizes for his short films Hasret and Çevre, and is most known for his feature films The Crossing (2010) and Istanbul Tales (2005). A musician also, he released his first album in 2002, founded the music recording studio 101 and also wrote and arranged music for films. You can find Mo Şibi Hat Aito on the 2007 various artists compilation Istanbul Calling, Vol. 2.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://www.turkishculture.org/whoiswho/movie-documentary-tv/selim-demirdelen-2159.htm

Feed Your Head: Baba Zula and "Cecom"

Baba Zula, in collaboration with Mad Professor, brings us our random tune for today entitled Cecom. Founded in 1996, Baba Zula is a Turkish alternative group that creates a psychedelic sound combining traditional Turkish instruments, electronica, reggae and dub. At the core of their sound is the saz, a Turkish bouzouki-like stringed instrument with a bright, high-pitched sound. Baba Zula became well known outside of Turkey when they appeared in the 2005 documentary Crossing the Bridge, and have since performed in many high profile world music festivals. They have released eight albums. Mad Professor is a Guyanese dub music producer and engineer known for original productions and remix work. He is a leading figure of dub's second generation and as such has been instrumental in bringing dub into the digital age. Cecom is from Baba Zula with Mad Professor's 2003 album Psychebelly Dance Music.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Zula

Poplar Trees: Sabahat Akkiraz feat. Erkan Oğur and "Kavaklar"

Sabahat Akkiraz brings us today's random tune, called Kavaklar. A Turkish folk music singer, was raised in Germany before returning to Turkey where she released her first professional album in 1983. She is not only well known for her contributions to Turkish folk music, but also as a politician and a member of the Turkish parliament where she represented Istanbul from 2011 - 2015. She resigned her position following the Soma mining disaster in Turkey and in protest of the ruling Justice and Development Party's response to a call to investigate the mine's safety record. She said at the time that being in parliament did not give her the ability to change the direction of the country. She is joined on Kavaklar by Erkan Oğur, a Turkish guitarist known for his invention of the fretless classical guitar, and his combination of Turkish classical and Turkish folk music with ancient traditional music. You can find Kavaklar on the 2006 various artists collection Homegrown Istanbul, Vol. 1.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabahat_Akkiraz; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erkan_O%C4%9Fur

It's the Breath: Mercan Dede and "Souffle"

Turkish-French and Sufi-influenced musician Mercan Dede performs today's random tune. Also known as DJ Arkin Allen, Dede is a composer, player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern styles with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. This song, Souffle, is from his 2007 CD Nefes (Breath). While it is easy to associate the song's title with a cakey savory or sweet, in medicine souffle actually refers the breath.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercan_Dede

Listen to the Cries: Siya Siyabend and "Hayyam"

Today's random tune is actually an except from a documentary about Istanbul, Turkey called Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul. The group performing the song is Siya Siyabend, a project started in 1996 and now consisting of three musicians - Hakan Özboz, Memduh Özdemir and Murat Toktaş. They have apparently never released an album. However, this song, Hayyam, can be heard on the soundtrack to Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, released in 2006, and there are various YouTube videos that include longer versions of the song like the one below. The song appears to address those in power who do not want to see or know or hear the cries of those in need.



Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://youtu.be/H0JTGAcACuk

Flamenco Dervishes: Tahir Aydoğdu and Eric Vaarzon Morel with "Hermanos (Sema Ve Dans)"

Today's random tune is an interesting hybrid - Sufi flamenco! The artists are Tahir Aydoğdu and Eric Vaarzon Morel. Known for fusing Western classical music and jazz with Turkish classical music, Tahir Aydoğdu is a Turkish virtuoso of the qanun, a type of dulcimer that is plucked. Eric Vaarzon Morel is a Dutch flamenco guitarist and the great grandson of the Dutch painter Willem Vaarzon Morel. He was taught by Paco Peña and at nineteen he moved to Spain and lived for two years. He has worked with a variety of musicians. This song, Hermanos (Sema Ve Dans), can be found on their album Sufi Müzik'ten Flamenko'ya (From Sufi to Flamenco), issued in 2000.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahir_Aydo%C4%9Fdu">Tahir Aydoğdu; https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Vaarzon_Morel

Day and Night: Deniz Cuylan and "Jour et Nuit"

Turkish film score composer Deniz Cuylan, now living in Los Angeles, brings us the random tune for today, called Jour et Nuit. Cuylan broke through with the electronica band Portecho, and has worked with other acts such as Norrda and Maya. He has also formed bands with fellow musician friends in Istanbul and Los Angeles. Currently, under the name Bright and Guilty, he creates and produces film soundtracks with Brian Bender. Jour et Nuit can be found on the various artists compilation Istanbul Calling, Vol. 2 (2008).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://www.redbullradio.com/shows/meze/episodes/deniz-cuylan

Pomegranates and Flutes: Mercan Dede and "Nar-I Ney"

Mercan Dede, also known as DJ Arkin Allen, brings us today's random tune. Dede is a Turkish-French musician and composer who draws inspiration from Sufi music. He is a player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum), and he fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern styles with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. This song, Nar-I Ney, is from his 2007 CD Nefes (Breath).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercan_Dede

Melancholy Longing: Omar Faruk Tekbilek and "Hasret"

Today's random song is called Hasret and is performed by Omar Faruk Tekbilek. A Turkish composer and musician who is multi-faceted, playing wind, percussion and stringed instruments, he add electronic ambient sounds to traditional Sufi music. As a teenager in the mid-1960s, he considered devoting his life to Sufism but at 15 decided to pursue music as his profession. He toured the United States with a Turkish folk ensemble in 1971. On the tour he met his future wife, and returned to the US after compulsory military service. He worked in an apparel factory in Rochester, New York while honing his craft in a pop and fusion band called The Sultans, but opportunities were few and far between until he met composer, musician and guitarist Briane Keane in 1988. Keane engaged him for a soundtrack he was working on for the movie Suleyman the Magnificent, and eventually became Tekbilek's producer. You can find Hasret on Omar Faruk Tekbilek's 2011 album Mystical Garden, and on numerous compilation albums such as Pera Lounge (2011).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Faruk_Tekbilek

Foreign to Me: Sezgin Inceel and "Yabancı"

German-Turkish singer-songwriter Sezgin Inceel performs the random tune for today, called Yabancı. Based in Munich, is a performer and teaching artist who draws on acoustic-folk, ethnic world and jazz music. With a Phd in music education with a specialty in music and language learning connections, he hopes to spread knowledge and experience of learning languages through music to the world. He has performed with famous Turkish artists such as Sezen Aksu and Sertab Erener. A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, guitar and flute. Yabancı can be found on his 2018 EP Ümitvâr.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://sezgininceel.com/

Far from Seattle: Duman and "İstanbul"

Today's random tune is called İstanbul, and is by Turkish rock band Duman. The band was founded in 1999 and blends elements of Turkish folk music with rock and grunge as well as utilizing an Arabic vocal style. They have had a big influence on the rock scene in Turkey. İstanbul can be found on the soundtrack to the documentary Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, released in 2006.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duman_(band)

Drawing Air: Mercan Dede and "Hininga"

Our random tune for today is by Mercan Dede, also known as DJ Arkin Allen. Dede is a Turkish-French musician and composer who draws inspiration from Sufi music. He is a player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum), and he fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern styles with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. This song, Hininga, is from his 2007 CD Nefes (Breath).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercan_Dede

Popera: Sertab Erener and "Buda"

Turkish pop music singer Sertab Erener brings us our random tune for today, called Buda. Best known for winning the 2003 Eurovision song contest, Erener was born and raised in Istanbul where she first studied opera. However, she began working with Turkish pop idol Sezen Aksu, and released her first album in 1992. She has performed hit songs for Turkish dubbed versions of Disney movies, and in 2004 she released her first English language album. In 2005 she recorded a much lauded version of Madonna's Music which was featured on the soundtrack to the documentary Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul. Buda can be found on her 2005 album Aşk Ölmez, and on the 2006 various artists compilation Putumayo Presents: Turkish Groove.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sertab_Erener

Mellow Man: Baba Zula and Mad Professor with "Zerzevat Adam"

Today's song, Zerzevat Adam, is brought to us by Baba Zula and Mad Professor. Founded in 1996, Baba Zula is an alternative group that creates a psychedelic sound combining traditional Turkish instruments, electronica, reggae and dub. At the core of their sound is the saz, a Turkish bouzouki-like stringed instrument with a bright, high-pitched sound. Baba Zula became well known outside of Turkey when they appeared in the 2005 documentary Crossing the Bridge, and have since performed in many high profile world music festivals. They have released eight albums. Mad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer from Guyana known for original productions and remix work. He is a leading figure of dub's second generation and as such has been instrumental in bringing dub into the digital age. Zerzevat Adam can be found on Baba Zula with Mad Professor's 2005 album Duble Oryantal. Google Translate translates the song title as Mellow Man...so there you go.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Zula; http://ariwa.com/layouts/page-without-frame/mad-professor/

Ghoulish: Aylin Aslim and "Güldünya"

Your random tune for today is from Turkey and is sung by Aylin Aslim. Aylin Aslim was born in Germany but raised in Turkey from the age of one year onward. In her career, she has switched back and forth between rock and electronica, singing in bands of both types in Istanbul. Her first album was released in 2001 and she has put out four albums, the latest in 2013. This song, Güldünya, is a melancholy tune about dying which asks "who is aware of who is buried in this world?" You can find Güldünya on Aslim's 2005 album Gül Yabani.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aylin_Asl%C4%B1m

That Day Will Come: Ebru Gündeş and "Bir Gün Olacak"

Today's random tune takes the flavor of Turkish pop. Born in Istanbul, Ebru Gündeş was forced to discontinue school after her primary years because of financial difficulties. Luckily, her voice was discovered when one of her relatives took her to be heard by a record label executive, who was impressed and introduced her to music producers. Gündeş sings tragic arabesque songs which lie at the core of Turkish pop. She is not only popular in Turkey, but also in Azerbaijan. She is also highly regarded in Iran due to the large Turkic minority there and has been called one of Iran's favorite singers. Most of her albums have been highly successful. Not only has she appeared on television as a singer, she is now an actress in a Turkish comedy series and was host of the hugely popular Mega Show, which was your standard variety show. She also was a guest judge on Popstar Alaturka, a talent show along the lines of American Idol or The Voice. Her career has been somewhat hampered by health issue - she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1999 entailing two operations - but she is back in full health. This song, Bir Gün Olacak, can be found on her 2011 album Beyaz.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebru_G%C3%BCnde%C5%9F