After a year of exploring Istanbul and getting to know the locals, two things became very clear to me – Turkish people seem to be born knowing how to dance and they seem to just LOVE Spanish culture. So it was no surprise that on the night of the Ivo Papazov & Trakia Band and Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra performances, which were held as a part of the International Clarinet Festival, the CRR Concert Hall was full of hopeful faces wanting to experience a little bit of both – dancing and Spanish music – in their own town. (Although I’m pretty sure most of the audience didn’t expect the night to turn out the way it did; but more on that later.)
The Ivo Papazov and Trakia Band got the show started just a few minutes after 8 p.m. Five portly gentlemen, all wearing black, came on stage and greeted the crowd. Between them there was an accordion, electric guitar, drums and electric piano, all of which were led by the sound of the clarinet – the king of the night. After a solid 20-something minutes of masculine Balkan party music, they were joined on stage by a woman with a breathtaking voice. But that was just the first of many surprises. Another was when the piano player put on a traditional-looking hat and transformed into a violin player, giving a solo performance on this new instrument. In the end, the feeling of the show – be it the music or the appearance of the performers – moved me between Balkan streets and Italian mafia culture, which made the performance unforgettable!
After a brief break, with a few sips of tea and some fresh air, the audience rushed back to the hall; they were ready to listen to the Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra (BGKO).
The Orchestra, again led by the clarinet, filled the air with a mix of Gypsy-Spanish vibes and put everybody in the mood to dance. The performers certainly did a good job of creating an all-around appealing show; from their costumes to the order of songs, everything came together to create an unforgettable performance. The one-hour show was finished with a call from the audience for an encore. The hall filled with smoke and glowing lights, and the final 10 minutes were dedicated to mutual fun – the BGKO guys mingled with the audience while dancing and playing, and you couldn’t even tell who was who anymore.
It was during this time that I found myself dancing together with strangers. Even though my seat was as close to the stage as one could be, this seemed irrelevant by the end of the evening; the important thing was to lose yourself in the crowd and dance. And that was what I did. I’m pretty sure we all were barefoot in our imagination, dancing in a street of Barcelona.
So Sunday evening started and finished in a completely different manner. We came to an opera-like venue and left what felt like a night club! I’m pretty sure that if somebody had seen only the very beginning and end of the event, they would have had doubts about whether they were at the same place. This was definitely one of those nights that reminds you why you love Istanbul (if you happened to have lost this knowledge somewhere in the crazy traffic). Not only were the performances unforgettable but the atmosphere and the vibe created at the CRR was something magical too – filling you with energy for the rest of the week and setting you up for the upcoming holiday. Here’s hoping that you can feel it too!
Ruta Rukaviciute is a contributor to Yabangee. All images courtesy of Ruta Rukaviciute.
