24: Belkis Akkale

[tulsehill charlie]

When he was on Charlie's show Justin Adams said that Belkis Akkale had one of the greatest voices. I agree. Here she is in younger days (with lots of tv flower effects)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Soj8BAlmo
and then with Arif Sag on saz more recently
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtR_jRdoin8

She's never made it to the Uk though she was once due to perform at the Union Chapel in the 80's but it was cancelled. Shame sice she doesn't perform much these days I hear.

[Chris P]

Here are 2 other female Alevi repertoire singers of more recent times to Google or You Tube-le.

Both unsurpassable at their best

Sabahat Akkiraz
Handan Aydin (Ayduhn)

For modern Turkish singing with roots, Feryal Oney's 'Bulutlar Gecer' (as reviewed in current fRoots), and Aynur's last 2 albums are beyond essential - milestones in music...

[tulsehill charlie]

Chris - in case you hadn't seen it, Sabahat Akkiraz is at the QEH on 20th July. I agree with you about Aynur's last album, and her performance in the music documentary "Crossing the Bridge" is very moving.

[Rob Hall]

Thanks for posting these Charlie. That clip with Arif Sag playing saz is beautiful.

[taiyo no otosan]

Really enjoyed those too.

The Arif Sag clip sent me off in search of Livaneli. And I found this fuzzy gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbNNo9IO ... ed&search=

Teshekur edirim!

[Chris P]

Chris - in case you hadn't seen it, Sabahat Akkiraz is at the QEH on 20th July

Evet !! Thanks Charlie this is great news..........

here's Sabahat doing a spot of Bartok/Kodaly/ VaughanWilliamsing for the ol' pop video using the latest recording tecnology :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWbEsC1QTAg

the moving subject matter is the number of conscripted Turk's who died fighting in Yemen

[Chris P]

Smadj, Orhan Osman and Savas Zurnaci (SOS) should be good too, but I'm dreading Orient Expressions - those leaden beats can even stunt a singer like Sabahat..

Queen Elizabeth Hall

Sabahat Akkiraz, Smadj (SOS) and Orient ExpressionsFriday 20 July 2007, 7:45 P.M.

Three groups come together in a blend of traditional roots with a contemporary approach. Sabahat Akkiraz is one of Turkey's best-loved singers of the folk style known as türkü, with many songs from the Anatolian Alevi tradition. Her distinctive voice has been heard at the London Jazz Festival with the Grand Union Orchestra as well as across Europe. In this concert she presents traditional material with her own group as well as with Orient Expressions, a popular ethno-electronic group whose tracks have appeared on numerous compilations. The concert opens with the dynamic trio of Smadj, Orhan Osman and Savaz Zurnaci (SOS). Istanbul-based Tunisian electronics conjurer and oud player Smadj has won acclaim for his various projects such as DuOuD. In this latest group he brings together two master instrumentalists - Greek-Turkish bouzouki virtuoso Orhan Osman and Savas Zurnaci on turkish clarinet.

[tulsehill charlie]

i've just found this, which captures Belkis Akkale in full swing, with saz and orchestra, starting in deep melancholy and then lifting the mood - it's beautiful stuff. I think this was recorded about ten years ago. she gets me every time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gauurM4abTc

[Seb Merrick]

And with Youtube you can even check out whether Orient Expressions and Sabahat Akkiraz really are so dreadful (I think not..)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wueZEM54tgU
Some nice quality close ups of Sabahat on a properly shot video.
She seems quite happy to sing with them...
[url][/url]

[Chris P]

Nice clip Seb. I was merely expressing a subjective pov about Orient Expressions, not attempting some objective pronouncement from on high. For instance I like the song and performance in this clip a lot, but from my own point of view if they had a good human percussionist rather than a (cleverly programmed admittedly) machine beat I would like it a lot more, but that's just me. Curiously I would also find it more danceable, which I suppose makes me strange, as I gather these beats go down well at dance clubs.....
I'll definitely be at the gig with open ears, so there's always a possibility of a damascene conversion...

Chrisp