Classic swagger is reborn – introducing Simavi and his debut album, Memories Of You.
Memories Of You is a 23 track tour-de-force of timeless pop standards, with outstanding arrangements from the likes of Quincy Jones, Johnny Mandel, Nelson Riddle and Billy May. Combined with Simavi’s musical direction, the result is nothing short of moving. Many singers are backed with orchestral arrangements. None have a 50-piece band behind them – except Simavi. Recorded over a span of several years at the prestigious Edison Studios in New York City, Simavi accomplished the rare feat of engaging a 50-piece orchestra to record Memories Of You. Produced by Simavi himself, the album gives equal footing to standards like, “Fly Me To The Moon”, “The Way You Look Tonight”, “The Girl From Ipanema”, “I Get A Kick Out Of You”, “I Wish You Love”, and lesser known tunes like, “To The Ends Of The Earth”, “Love Looks So Well On You”, “Tell Her You Love Her”, “Again” and “Let Me Be The One”. Each recording, wrapped in lush orchestral arrangement, pulls in listeners at every moment. And as a bonus, Memories Of You is an enhanced CD, and features a video of a live performance from Simavi at Lincoln Center in New York City, viewable on any DVD or CDRom player.
Memories Of You is now available at Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, iTunes, and wherever music is sold.
Confiscated weapons are always destroyed, but that doesn’t mean the wreckage can’t be used for something. Artist Pedro Reyes took the remains of 6,700 guns—many of which had probably seen some action—and used their dismembered parts to build instruments for a makeshift gunmetal orchestra.
The instruments were all constructed out of pistols, shotguns, and even automatic weapons and then used to play a rendition of “Imagine.” They’re currently on display in Istanbul until December 12th, but chances are you won’t be able to go see them there. You can hear them in action in the video above, and while they’re not the most in tune instruments you’ve ever heard, but they’re not bad enough to do any moral harm, at least not anymore. [TreeHugger]
via Watch this Band Play with Killer Gunmetal Instruments.
Musicians from Turkey and Greece are employing their craft to heal wounds lingering from political disputes between the two nations.
Eleni Karaindrou, a renowned Greek musician, performed with Turkish composer Ender Sakpinar and his orchestra at an Istanbul jazz festival earlier this month. With cheering in Turkish and Greek thundering from the audience, the transformative power of the moment was reflected in Karaindrou’s eyes at the end of the show.
“Music is a universal language that speaks to peoples’ hearts,” Karaindrou told SETimes.
Sakpinar and Karaindrou have partnered in a concert series known as “Songs for Hope and Peace,” which aims to use the countries’ common musical heritage to promote tolerance despite their governments’ political disagreements.
Sakpinar is convinced ministerial squabbles are no match for the force of music.
“When the audience hums the melody and keeps the tempo in harmony with each other, political conflicts disappear and we open a platform for mutual understanding,” he told SETimes.
But the concert series hasn’t been all singing and merriment. Sakpinar, who has co-ordinated the project for a decade, said his musicians had to learn to trust each other before they could bring a message of tolerance to a broader audience.
“When we started our project, there was serious suspicion about our real motives, especially from the Greek side,” he said. “Even some Greek musicians playing in our orchestras had difficulty explaining the project to people close to them.”
One way the maestro united his group was by drawing from both Greek and Turkish artists when developing their repertoire of songs. This allowed the concerts to realise their goals even in challenging environments, he said.
“Recall how much political tension there was in the summer of 2006, when we came to Rhodes to give a joint concert,” Sakpinar said. “There were dogfights over the Aegean sea and crises over the Kardak islets. Despite this, 2,000 people attended the concert.”
Added Sakpinar: “When people came to our concerts and saw us, they started to re-discover Turkish-Greek relations from scratch.”
Karaindrou told SETimes she’s been warmly welcomed by Turkish music fans despite her nationality.
“It’s not that all of Turkey knows me, but those music lovers that feel close to me truly show their love for me,” she said, adding that it has been a tremendous experience every time she’s co-operated with Turkish musicians.
Meanwhile, concert organisers work to ensure their success branches up from the grassroots to the highest reaches of government.
Politicians, mayors and governors are invited to the performances. If they attend, they’re required to make a speech before the show to share thoughts about the initiative and their view of the country across the sea.
“Thanks to the concerts, we’ve had an opportunity to discuss our problems and brainstorm about how to improve the situation,” Sakpinar said. “But initiatives like these need more support from businessmen and public officials on both sides.”
There are signs that a growing number of artists on both sides of the Aegean are embracing the project’s formula of peace through music.
Greek musician Eleni Karaindrou and Turkish composer Ender Sakpinar are collaborating in programs that use the countries’ common musical heritage to promote tolerance despite their governments’ political disagreements. [Facebook]Mehtap Demir, a Turkish singer whose ensemble My Sweet Canary includes Greek, Israeli, and Turkish musicians, was set to transmit the message at the Womex World Music Expo held in Thessaloniki on October 21st.
“The power of music comes from the fusion of local, cultural and religious spheres,” Demir told SETimes. “Musicians need to share this with the people and emphasise this theme.”
Demir’s ensemble was founded to memorialize Roza Eskenazi, known as the queen of early 20th century rembetiko (Greek blues). Eskenazi was born in a Sepharadic family in Istanbul, but early in her childhood her family moved to Thessaloniki, then still part of the Ottoman Empire.
The singer laments the fact that Turkish and Greek people are eager to claim “ownership” of aspects of culture, such as coffee or local dances.
“Musical projects like My Sweet Canary show that these represent the common culture of this region,” she said.
Demir told a story about a Greek politician who approached her at one of her concerts.
“He said, “I’m 58 years old. My grandmother used to sing me the song ‘Rambi,’ which you performed. It reminded me of my childhood.”
SETimes correspondent HK Tzanis in Athens contributed to this report.
via Turks and Greeks come together over music (SETimes.com).
