Greek and Turkish music thread

[Gordon Neill]

Kastamonu provoked:

I'm waiting for Gordon's comment

Actually, I quite liked it. I cringed at first, imagining I was in a restaurant and all the waiters had crowded round my table and started to perform for me and my true love. But I calmed down, well aware of the security of the off switch. But I never needed it.

The only thing that bothered me was the clips of the TV chef dancing in his kitchen alongside what one can only imagine were very hot pots of food. The Turks seem quite reckless when it comes to heath and safety (I still often think of that young girl, dangling upside down and tapping on the car windscreen). I mean, can you imagine Jamie Oliver being allowed to morris dance in the middle of a coq au vin?

On a more positive note, here's a catchy song by Sinan Aksil about asthma. I'm assuming that 'Atma' is Turkish for asthma, or at least some other respiratory disease. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfi5A7EMgOc

PS Based on one of those internet translator things, I've knocked out what I think is a rough interpretation of what the song is saying. I think it must be an advert from Turkey's Asthma Marketing Board.

What makes horses come from Troy
What makes me gasp with joy
What makes me want to curse
What makes me fit to burst
What makes me think of Kurds
What makes me lost for words
What makes me want to wheeze
What’s louder than processed cheese
What makes my prose so deathless
What makes me so breathless
It’s asthma….asthma…asthma….

What makes me crash my trailer
What makes me reach for my inhaler
What condition strickens
Famous people like Charles Dickens
And it’s been proven
Ludwig Van Beethoven
What makes me so enchanting
What makes me keep on panting
What makes my prose so deathless
What makes me so breathless
It’s asthma….asthma…asthma….

[Gordon Neill]

Here's something that raises the tone, some Byzantine churchy music. Divna Ljubojevic singing 'Aksion estin - vizantijski napev'. OK, she is Serbian and, technically, shouldn't be in this thread. But let's just look the other way and let her through. If you like this, I'd recommend the CD as it all sounds much the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuqrhj2N ... re=related

[kastamonu]

That's gorgeous.

I think Atma is 'Don't Jump' but much prefer your interpretation Gordon - hilarious - as for Health & Safety here in Turkey, by golly you are right ..... it's all around us!!!! (the lack of it anyway!)

I shall be chuckling for days about the idea of JO morris dancing while making Coq Au Vin - brilliant!

[judith]

Judith confessed:

I've always shared your taste in gloomy feeling songs.

OK, here's another jaunty litle number! 'Kavaklar' by Sezen Aksu. I think it's from quite early in her career. And, because it has quite a different feel from most of her stuff, I suspect it's a traditional song. but I'm guessing. I've no idea what it's about, but wallow in the misery! Here's the studio version, with a video of a photograph: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ8rvngVeQ8

Here's a shortened live version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdLCAUOB07U

This is absolutely gorgeous (I'm listening to the studio verson). Thank you, Gordon.

[kastamonu]

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7nSp ... cC5-LHiIZQ

Lowering the tone again (she's a famous Arabesk singer here in Turkey) but I love her voice :-)

[judith]

I love her voice! A voice like this couldn't lower the tone so to speak. Thanks, Pauline.

[Gordon Neill]

Judith claimed:

A voice like this couldn't lower the tone

Well, it has a ruddy good go at lowering the tone on this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF5dPDBJ ... IPhoDyWoZ4

She caught my eyes, if not my ears, a few weeks ago. I can't help feeling that she reminds me of some Bond villainess. You know, the type that seduces poor old James, betrays him to the latest evil mastermind who wants to rule the planet, but then feels remorse, helps James escape, but is felled by a gold-plated bullet as they're escaping the spaceship. Er...or is that just one of my fantasies? But that song that P Kastamonu spotted is rather good. The gal Ebru does have potential.

But I feel that we've been picking on the Turks too much. Time to give it to the Greeks!

Here's one of my favourites. Stelios Kazantzidis singing Yparho (or, if you prefer, Υπάρχω). His guitar playing is more Engelbert Humperdinck than Jimi Hendrix, but the guy can sing. And what a song! One of those that seems to have been discovered rather than invented. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf13HjZb ... re=related

[kastamonu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJG7HJVV2f8

I prefer Ebru as 'The Queen of Turkish Arabesque' - so hopefully the above will appeal - sorry for the poor video quality.

I very much enjoyed Stelios' Singing (there is definitely a ring of Engelburt (in his younger days) about him & I agree about the guitar playing.

I rather liked your Ebru song - ha ha - or maybe it was just the bloke on the sofa that appealed! ;-) They all seem to end up leaving sadly with their suitcases (or in the case of the old films set in villages, being hit over the head with saucepans by gaggles of Anatolian women).

Thanks Gordon!

Cheers P/Kastamonu

[kastamonu]

Ebru (no more after this I promise) -

But this one is much better - duetting with Ibo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFM8kIhZ ... re=related

[Philellinas]

I can't say I'm a big fan of arabesk in general or Ebru Gündeş in particular. I fear for the longevity of her ear lobes if she carries on wearing ear-hoops.
Stelios Kazantzidis neatly straddles this thread as he was equally at home in Greek and Turkish. Here he is practising his Turkish:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR7noDO-OqM

[kastamonu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1V6P8sr ... re=related

Well in my opinion she's at her best in this one - offff offff what a song - guess Arabesk is one of those music styles you either love or hate (at least Ibo wasn't wearing a white suit in the other one) ;-)

The Stelios song (in Turkish) was gorgeous by the way....

[Willy]

I love her voice! A voice like this couldn't lower the tone so to speak. Thanks, Pauline.

Agreed, Love the song as well, a real gem. She is good in all the videos I've seen so far and well loved by her fans -plus another stylish dresser.

[NormanD]

I'm trying to follow what's going on in Greece right now - the austerity measures, heavy unemployment, and the protests - and how this is reflected in its current music. I found this link from US public radio NPR http://www.npr.org/2011/12/28/144380063 ... rom-greece that gives a brief introduction + youtube links. It's six months old, and things have worsened since then, so maybe now there's even more music from the streets.

[kastamonu]

Ebru G - thanks Willy, glad you like her - Cemal my fave taxi driver here plays arabesk all the time on our drives home - I find it uplifting really but can understand it's not everyone's cup of tea! Did you spot Bulent Ersoy on the sofa behind Ebru singing 'Yalan' (I keep playing that again & again I must admit!) - 'She's' an amazing character & singer - check her out on You Tube when time permits! Also Wikipedia!

Norman D - thank you, that's an interesting post and food for thought for us all. I have only dipped into it for the moment but loved the rap 'Lost Kids' track - I'll go back to that post tomorrow - great. Sad times for Greece (other countries not far behind too but we must stick to this thread for now...)

[kastamonu]

(Featuring Tarkan)

http://www.google.com.tr/url?sa=t&rct=j ... Ql-pNo9NKQ

PS - this is probably Bulent at her 'craziest' - her (purest) field is Ottoman Classical Music at which she/her voice excels!!!