Turkey Now! Festival 2012

Music from Ottoman palaces and songs about Istanbul's nightlife

Fasil is a slightly classical but at the same time secular music style that is once again very popular in the trendy nightlife neighbourhoods of Istanbul. The music has its roots in the Ottoman Empire. In those days fasil music was heard in palaces and in the homes of affluent Turks. A typical fasil concert resembles a western suite in composition, with rhythms that increase in intensity. Nurettin Çelik is one of the most admired interpreters of fasil. The performance by the Pera Fasil Ensemble is preceded by a shadow play featuring Karagöz and Hacivat. They provide an amazing introduction to the concert, in a manner that was common in Istanbul of old.
After the intermission comes a performance by Coşkun Sabah, widely regarded as the one of the best ud players in Turkey and also a very popular singer. In his songs he will primarily sing the praises of the Istanbul nightlife. Sabah released his CD debut in the '80s and sold 2.6 million copies. It's a record that seems unbeatable.