New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble: Bringing NY Roots to Istanbul
Last night marked my first show experience at Ghetto, one of the best venues I’ve been to in Istanbul. They’ve got a lot going...
!F Istanbul International Independent Film Festival Awards Ceremony
!f Istanbul 2015, Istanbul's premier independent film festival, wrapped up recently at Nu Pera in Beyoğlu. It wasn't like you would expect, if the...
Formicarium: Maintaining the Collective Memory of the City of Ants
A twenty-nine year old artist from Diyarbakır is questioning the demolition of his hometown’s city walls, comparing his past with today’s Istanbul at his...
Escaping the Rain as Com Truise Returns to Salon IKSV
On a rainy Wednesday night in Şişhane, Istanbul, I walked into Salon IKSV for the second time in my life. It was for the...
Review: Konstantin Lifschitz, Effortless in Istanbul
Istanbul has been around since 660 B.C., back when it was Byzantium. Bach is more than 300 years old. Neve Shalom Synagogue is from...
Witty Thriller: Borusan Goes A Capella with Soli-Tutti
The terms “Soli-Tutti,” “A Capella” and “Borusan” seemed interesting enough of a trilogy to entice me to attend an evening of musical discovery on...
Violin’s Global Star Sarah Chang @ İş Sanat
There are certain names that you just cannot dismiss. And Sarah Chang is at the forefront of these names. YouTube has thousands of videos...
Review: Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra @ Salon IKSV
Canadian post-rock veterans, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, graced the halls of Salon IKSV for two consecutive evenings this past week. I was...
The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk
You might have not heard of this museum but if you are a reader, you would probably have bumped into the name Orhan Pamuk....
Berlin Konzerthaus: European Delight at the CRR
The Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall is hosting quite a program this year, and it finished October off with impressive performances back to back. Among...
Review: Wye Oak @ Salon IKSV
If you’re curious about Wye Oak’s impression of Istanbul: “I feel like we’ve been tricked into being on some reality TV show where they...
Buried Treasure Beneath Our Mind’s Bosphorus: Reflections on Zeynep Beler’s “Beachcomber”
Living as a millennial in a cosmopolitan city, I know I’m not alone in admitting my smartphone is an extension of me. The selfies...
Review: Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists @ IKSV Music Festival
Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists: For the past several years, I have been coming across this ensemble again and again. They've become regulars...
Poetry Slam Istanbul: Paving the way for Poets & Performers on...
Poetry Slam Istanbul, the first open mic poetry slam event in Istanbul will bring poetry performers and an audience to Kaset Kadıköy on March...
Have a Reggae Christmas (Luciano the Messenger @ Nayah Reggae Bar)
What better way to spend Christmas Eve than getting down to the conscious reggae vibes bestowed upon Nayah Reggae bar by Luciano the Messenger,...
Accessible, Riveting and Totally Radical: Catch Ai Wei Wei’s “On Porcelain”...
“If you love your country, you become a criminal,” celebrated and controversial Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei said during an artist talk when his...
Review: Incesaz @ Salon IKSV
Salon IKSV, one of our favorite stops between the neighborhoods of Galata and Şişhane, continues to bring delightful performances to their stage. Last Thursday...
Review: Pinhâni @ Kadıköy Sahne
Howling winds and frigid cold this past Saturday night did little to dissuade a group of us from attending the Pinhâni show at Kadıköy...
Review: Selda Bağcan @ Babylon Bomonti
I finally had my very own Selda Bağcan moment that I've been waiting for for so long. Thanks to Babylon Bomonti for their dope...
Sarah Brightman Rocks our Souls in Istanbul
I remember being 5 or 6 years old and watching in awe as a pretty-looking, round-eyed young woman came on the TV screen, captivating...
Review: Dhafer Youssef @ Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre
Perhaps he is not the kind of musician you hear about that often; you won’t see his pictures on billboards, nor can you watch...
Review: “Painter and Painting: A Mehmet Güleryüz Retrospective” @ Istanbul Modern
By Sheldon Heyes
The life and career of acclaimed Turkish artist Mehmet Güleryüz is on exhibition at the Istanbul Modern Museum until June 2015.
200 pieces...
Persian Play is Highlight of the 20th Theatre Festival
As we transition into summer from spring, so have begun the series of IKSV Festivals: the just over Theatre Festival, the ongoing Music Festival,...
YeatUp: A Unique Way to Dine Locally
Massaging a golden retriever's paw while chatting with new friends and digesting a wonderfully home-cooked meal is probably the most comfortable experience I can...