Anatolia is a cultural-historical treasure trove. Persian merchants, Greek settlers, Crusaders and many other groups have traversed the area over thousands of years, leaving behind some of their own culture. Influenced by Turkish nationalism in the 20th century, this cultural diversity was long denied, but in the 1980s the time was right for a reaction. Students called for attention to minorities
… and music groups with a political message emerged at various universities. This is also the case at Boaziçi University in Istanbul, where members of the Folklore Club were inspired by the musical heritage of Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Lasen and Georgians, as a result of which they automatically took a political position. In 1993 the group gave a number of concerts called Kardes Türküler (songs of brotherhood), which resulted in an album of the same title in 1997. Kardes Türküler became the name of the group. Dogu (1999), the beautiful second album, was also a great success outside Turkey. Meanwhile, the audience attending the spectacular performances of the 20-piece ensemble has grown steadily. The international reputation that the group enjoys can be seen in the CD booklet of the album Hemavaz (2003). Finally, an English translation has also been provided with the texts. Hemavaz once again proves that Kardes Türküler's multicultural starting point with attention to differences and similarities can produce wonderfully fascinating, exciting and beautiful music. No 'authentic' music from a dusty box, but inspiring music for the future. (CP)more
