Derya Yıldırım.
Image: Steve Galli/Shutterstock. Source.

In the random way that is typical of my exposure to popular culture altogether, I came across

• Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek,

“blending Anatolian melodies with modern psychedelic flair” (see here, and on YouTube, listen here and here).

Born in Hamburg to Turkish parents, Derya Yıldırım (here, and Guardian) grew up immersed both in the diversity of Hamburg and in her family’s Anatolian roots, learning the bağlama. In 2014 she formed Grup Şimşek with international musicians.

Kar Yağar (featured on their 2019 album):

Gurbet:

Davet (to text by Nazim Hikmet):

For fans of additive metre, here’s 3 2 2 3:

Among Derya Yıldırım’s inspirations are traditional bards like Neşet Ertaş and Aşık Mahzuni Şerif. After Dost 1, Dost 2 includes a version of Şerif’s Darıldım darıldım:

From their new album Yarın Yoksa, here’s Hop bico:

And Ceylan, a far cry from Neşet Ertaş’s free-tempo original:

From my series on Turkish culture, see also e.g. Anatolian bards rock, New sounds from Anatolia, and Aynur; Love, Deutschmarks and death, and even Jazz in Turkey. While I merely dabble, it’s heartening to find glimpses of the vitality of musical cultures around the world.

Posted from Istanbul, after a trip to the Princes’ Islands…