Available for 2013 bookings MERCAN DEDE ISTANBUL QUARTET

After the great success of Mercan Dede & Secret Tribe, Mercan Dede presents his new project “Istanbul Quartet” where he gets together three fantastic young traditional Turkish musicians.

Mercan Dede “Istanbul” Quartet; Dede’s most recent and purest project with giving acoustic performances to great importance and bring east to west, traditional and modern, past and future together through by music and visual art, like Istanbul itself. 

Kemane, violin like asian rooted Turkish instrument performed by extraordinary young player Cafer Nazlibas, who also plays cumbus, some sort of a mix of banjo/guitar rarely played by only few players even in Turkey.

Percussion by Onur Il, young gypsy player who incredibly brings Turkish- Middle eastern and Indian styles together with his exceptional and unique technic. In baglama (ancient instrument from Central Asia, so called “grandfather of guitar”, main instrument of Turkish folk music) Mercan has a fantastic player, Tanju Yıldız, who gets attention with his speed of perform and magical composition skills.

Mercan Dede accompanies this young and energetic group with electronic sounds and with his ney (reed flute).

And of course, as a signature tradition of Mercan Dede performances, a young dervish also will create visual and complementary elements to their music with mystical whirling dervish dance in both very traditional and contemporary style of whirling, adding magical touch for the “Istanbul Quartet”‘s delightful music.

As a visual artist, Mercan Dede also brings images, short films, animations, photographs as back drops to his performance base on the space and repertory.

In his new project “Istanbul Quartet ” Mercan Dede created to entirely different set list and style for proper venues and events. Probably more proper for for seated settings, specially for historical venues, classical theaters and concert halls ; we present “Sunrise” series which is more chill, down tempo but yet still dynamic performance.

For standing and more upbeat venues such as clubs, main festivals and outdoor event we recommend “Sunset” performance for more high energy, dance oriented, performances.

Istanbul Quartet is in the same spirit of Zakir Husein’s “Shakti” project, bringing superior musicianship and live feeling of making and performing music, only from Istanbul, the city of magic and dream.