Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek | Psychedelische Klänge zwischen anatolischem Folk und modernem Groove

In the organizer's words:

Turkish singer, bağlama player and multi-instrumentalist Derya Yıldırım and her international band embark on a psychedelic journey, meandering through Anatolian folk music and poetry with their infectious grooves as they explore their own lives and personal experiences. Reinterpretations of Turkish classics and the band's own compositions are seamlessly blended through imaginative arrangements and captivating grooves, with past and present colliding within the same song.

Derya Yıldırım sings the song her grandmother used to sing - an old Anatolian folk song called "Hop Bico", which roughly means "Hop around in Bico". But the version that Derya's grandmother sang was different - she had added her own touch. And Derya's version is different still - brought into the 21st century with a slow psychedelic touch and her own hypnotic vocals. That's intentional. Derya insists that when you play an old folk song, you have to add something new, "otherwise you might as well put on the old record".

She was born in Hamburg to Turkish parents and grew up under the influence of her family's Anatolian background and the myriad cultures in the city. Derya's musical roots lie in folk music, which she played at home with her family members. Her father encouraged her to learn various instruments, starting with the bağlama, a seven-stringed Turkish lute. She then learned guitar, piano and saxophone.

Although she is a multi-instrumentalist, Derya always felt drawn to the sound of the bağlama - "there's just something very magical about it". With her band Grup Şimşek's upcoming album Yarın Yoksa, which translates to "When there is no tomorrow", Derya continues her journey to revitalize Anatolian folk music and instrumentation by combining timeless melodies with a modern psychedelic flair.

Featured performers:

• Derya Yıldırım vocals
• Grup Şimşek
• Antonin Voyant guitar, bass guitar, flute
• Graham Mushnik Keyboard
• Helen Wells drums