Alemdar Cad. Osman Hamdi Bey Yokusu Sk.Sultanahmet / Fatih, Istanbul

We are expecting you to “Jazz in Ramadan”!

"Jazz in Ramadan", a unique festival organized by Hakan Erdogan Productions, and which proposes the idea that social peace comes first and foremost from the sharing artistic inspiration, will feature world-renown jazz musicians from the Muslim world all through the Ramadan.
 
Two beautiful historic Sultanahmet venues will be the settings for eight concerts, in “Jazz in Ramadan Festival”: the courtyard of the Archaeological Museum and the gardens of Topkapi Palace.

Festival, will host world-renown jazz musicians from the Muslim world such as Ahmad Jamal, Anouar Brahem, Abdullah Ibrahim and Dhafer Youssef.

Ilhan Ersahin and Aydin Esen will be the two popular jazz musicians participating from Turkey. “Aydin Esen Plays for Ramadan’  will be Esen’s special theme for the program. These musicians who are well known by Istanbul jazz listeners, this time will reach a broader and more mixed audience and even to future generation jazz fans.
Within the festival, among jazz music, there will also be Dede Efendi. Munip Utandi who is one of Turkey’s esteemed singers of Turkish classical music will be accompanied by the Dede Efendi Ensemble in the Archaelological Museum; it will be a treat for the classical Turkish Music listeners.

In the last concert Kudsi Erguner and his group will be taking the stage. Their concert heading is ‘Islam Blues’; this will be the final note of "Jazz in Ramadan", aiming to introduce the efforts of the musicians working in different musical forms and making contributions to the world culture.

Jazz in Ramadan, which is supported by Istanbul 2010, will propose the idea that social peace comes first and foremost from sharing of artistic inspiration.

JAZZ IN RAMADAN

14 August Saturday : Anouar Brahem Quartet / Archaeological Museum
17 August Tuesday : Ahmad Jamal Quartet / Topkapi Palace
18 August Wednesday : Dhafer Youssef Quartet / Archaelogical Museum
20 August Friday : Dede Efendi Ensemble – Munip Utandi / Archaeological Museum
21 August Saturday : Ilhan Ersahin & Istanbul Sessions / Archaeological Museum
24 August Tuesday: Abdullah Ibrahim Trio / Topkapi Palace
26 August Thursday: Aydin Esen Group / Archaeological Museum
(Aydin Esen Plays For Ramadan)
31 August Tuesday: Kudsi Erguner Ensemble – Islam Blues  / Topkapi Palace

Anouar Brahem

Anouar Brahem was born in the Madina of Tunisia, at Halafouine which brings to mind the film of the same name, the score of which was composed by him. Encouraged by his father, an engraver and printer, but also a music lover, Brahem began to study oud at the Conservatory at the age of 10, taking lessons from Ustad Ali Sriti. At 15, he was playing with local groups. When 18 he devoted himself completely to music. For four consecutive years Ali Sriti received him at home every day and taught him music through the traditional master / disciple relationship. In time Brahem began to listen to other sorts of music. He discovered the links between Mediterranean, Persian, Indian music and then jazz.

One of the best musicians of his country Tunisia, Anouar Brahem has always distanced himself from the environment dominated by entertainment music. He refrained from just playing at weddings or join groups where the oud was treated as an accompanying instrument. With conviction in himself, his music and his instrument, he offered solo oud concerts and wrote his own compositions. In 1981 he departed for Paris to seek new experiences and stayed there for four years, composing for films and theatre. He also composed for Maurice Béjart. Brahem returned to Tunisia in 1985 and brought together many select Tunisian and Turkish musicians and French jazz musicians for “Liqua 85” at the Carthage Festival, the Erköse Brothers among them. Working as director of the

L'Ensemble Musical de la Ville de Tunis for two years he left the EMVT and met Manfred Eicher, producer/founder of EMI. Brahem’s first record “"Barzakh" was made in 1991. In his second album "Conte De L'incroyable Amour" (1992) Barbaros Erköse played again, this time with Kudsi Erguner. Two years later, Jan Garbarek accompanied him in “Madar”. His last album is the surprising, atypical, and highly personal “The Astounding Eyes of Rita”.