A Thursday night spent in Babylon Bomonti never disappoints. Last week, I finally made it to see Hamdi Akatay & Tepecik Philharmonic Orchestra on stage. It is almost impossible to not to caught up in energy of Romany music, right? Add some of Mozart’s classics… No surprise, it was as rich, colorful and entertaining of a show as I have heard!
When it comes to percussion, Hamdi Akatay is one of the most important names in Turkey. I also had the chance to listen to him playing with Brooklyn Funk Essentials and Sezen Aksu before, so I already knew he was a real talent! As seen from his work with the ”İlle de Mozart Olsun” project, he is also one of those devoted and inspiring musicians who wants to make a difference by playing experimental music and helping younger colleagues. Two years ago, Akatay gathered with Romany boys of İzmir Tepecik who found a great way to deal with discrimination regarding their ethnic roots: playing their own music and carrying their unique energy and culture to stage. You may also remember the band by their previous name, ”İlle de Mozart Olsun” which was inspired by one of the most famous Romany songs, ”İlle de Roman Olsun”. They are enthusiastic musicians like Akatay himself and it is impossible to not enjoy the harmonization and energy between them. Their approach really spoke to me, “we play both Mozart and Haydar Tatlıay”. I think when you hear about the story of the orchestra, their passion for music really attracts you. These young and dynamic musicians are also students at conservatory and I truly believe that they have a bright future ahead of them. On the other hand, as Akatay stated, they still need support as young and disadvantaged artists.
Hamdi Akatay & Tepecik Philharmony Orchestra bring Romany melodies and Turkish traditional music together through remarkable symphonies of the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For me, their style is quite different than other ”Western music meets with rhythms of the East” stories. Passages between melodies were smooth and I found myself wondering how they can sound that good together. I enjoyed the show and the energy they spread out to a dancing crowd.
Thanks to Babylon for not only bringing us together with amazing world-wide musicians – let’s stay calm about Oscar & The Wolf – but also for giving us a chance to discover new styles of music and keeping us excited for more!
