Eurasia

is not an encyclopedia neither a book of history
faint reflection from a far away star instead
a dusty new mythology..

Istanbul

the only megapolis that physically locates on two
continents and bridges them over the infamous Bosphorus
strait, neither occidental nor oriental once was the
hybrid port for musicians and artists on the mystic route
to the East in the 60's and the 70's. Despite a Cuban
style poverty as a result of exclusion from world trade
agreements untill 80's, besides local mainsteam and a
limited selection of import billboard music, record
stores saw the legend of Turkish Avant-Jazz and
Anadolu Pop.

Sixties

Doruk Onatkut, Mavi Isiklar, Siluetler, Okan Dincer
Gokcen Kaynatan...

Early Gurus

in Jazz

Durul Gence, Erkut Tackin, Ismet Siral, Okay Temiz..

Anadolu Pop

Lost Era

Anadolu Pop is a unique reflection of psychedelic sounds
of the sixties and the seventies. A breed of diverse traditions
and ethnicities once Asia Minor hosted via the first states and
colossal empires that shaped the history through the ancient
decades of migration. Yet it got withdrawn into the cultural
vortex that came with the 80's.

Anadolu Pop

The original works and formations of local Beat Generation
musicians coming out from 50's tropicadelica jazz and rocknroll
bands could be considered as the beginning of modern Anatolian
folk music or as they termed in the late 60's; Anadolu Pop. This
became the major kick to bring a sense of minimalist funk to
all genres.

Anadolu Pop

Kraut Rock

Likes of Baris Manco, Fikret Kizilok, Ersen, Erkin Koray
and Uc Hurel, followed a lyrical path and attracted wider
audience such as epic folk legend Asik Veysel.

Electronics

When it's the early seventies, sixties' psyche pioneers
Gokcen Kaynatan, Murat Ses, Metin Alatli adapted folk
anthems to electronic instrumentals using custom made
amplifiers, oscillators, tape recorders and first synths.

Early Gurus

Electronic

With the Rockafeller scholarsip which he got in '59 for
his works on electromechanical music, Bulent Arel,
composer, teacher, broadcaster, founder Yale Electronic
Music Center (later joined Ilhan Mimaroglu) is known
to be the first to experiment on electronic compositions
in the United States' first electronic music center
Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center till late
sixties.

Oyun Havasi

"Dance Tune"

Another group collaborated with traditional
instrumentalists to record modern versions of folk
anthems, dances and fasil style in particular. This
instrumental genre was necessary for the 3 days wedding
ceremonies. Zafer Dilek, Esin Engin, Husnu Ozkartal,
Mustafa Ozkent, Urfali Babi are the best known.

Pop Melancholia

"Turk Sanat" & pop western

Lay Lay Lom.

Anadolu Pop

Coup d'etat

Followers of Selda, Mogollar, Cem Karaca, Timur Selcuk
and Edip Akbayram adopted a protest style heavily
influenced by modern day minstrels Asik Mahzuni and Asik
Ihsani and became icons of leftist movement until the
Cold War engineered Coup d'etat's massive socio-cultural
destruction after 1980.

then "Everything was silent."

Orhan Gencebay & Arabesk

Turkish Bollywood

Orhan Gencebay was experimenting on new forms since
sixties and later with names like Erkin Koray, Gulden
Karabocek and a few other melancholia artists, proto Arabesk
scene was set up. Arabesk arised from the ashes of the
seventies. He performed an original style but even
though he rejected oftenly, Gencebay was attributed as
the creator of the genre. Fatalist moody realms of
Arabesk was worse than getting lost in a soap opera. It's
popularity grow in metropoles with the eighties mass
suburbanization.

Anadolu

"Anatolia"

Also known as Anatolia, Asia Minor, comprising 97% of
modern Turkey that is situated on the Asia continent.
Anatolia is the peninsula bordering the Black Sea,
the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
The name Anatolia comes from the ancient Greek Anatoli,
"rise" or Anatolia, "(land) of the sunrise" or simply
the "East". Byzantines called the region Anatolicon,
meaning Eastern whereas, Hellenia referred to the
Western lands, where the sun sets.
The word morphed into "Anadolu" over time and Turkish
folk etymology further breaks down the geographical
term into two words: "full of (dolu) mother (ana)"
referring to the matriarchal traditions of Asia Minor
and steppes of Asia.

Asik

(Ashik)

A minstrel, mystic troubadour or travelling bard
continuing the oral tradition originating from
shamanistic roots of nomadic Turkic tribes, which later
became an element of folk culture in Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Georgia, and Iran. Asiks sing and play the saz,
a form of lute. Their epic verses are semi-improvised
around common issues, love and philosophy. The word "asik"
also means "in love".
Asik is of the people; he is part of them. He sings about
the positive and negative aspects of society. He dares to
mention social problems and offers advices, questions the
unknown and reveals an ancient mystery philosophy. Love is
the essence, respect all living and non-living in this
creation.