The finale at Fethiye’s World Music Festival
Fethiye, Muğla, recently hosted musicians from around the world when the Mediterranean town held its first World Music Festival as part of the sixth annual Culture and Arts Festival. For the musicians and audience alike it was a resounding success. Organised by the hard working Kültür ve Sanat Günleri team, who operate under the auspices for FETAV (Fethiye’s Arts, Culture and Education Association), preparations took the best part of a year culminated in a rousing finale when all the musicians came together on stage to sign one of the Turkey’s favourite anthems, Samanyolu by Berkant Akgürgen.
Indonesian mime and dance
(Photo: Nichola Chapman)
Scott Jeffers (Traveler)
Between 3rd – 8th May, Fethiye reverberated to the beat of ethnically diverse music with hundreds of its residents rhythmically swaying, clapping their hands and tapping their feet to some glorious, occasionally exotic sounds from Turkey and ten other countries. Saz player and Türküler singer, Ahmet Erarslan, represented Turkey and Fethiye, while musicians and signers joined with him from as far a field as Georgia, Ireland, Bulgaria, Montenegro, USA (Arizona), Britain, Kazakhstan and India, Spain and Indonesia brought their musical traditions and culture to the Beşkaza Square in the heart of Fethiye.
Ahmet Erarslan and Scott Jeffers (Traveler)
Vagabundos de Lujo
Khalilo, a choir from Georgia
The event organizers were stepping into the unknown back in the autumn of 2012 when they sent out a global call to musicians, inviting them to join a festival celebrating traditional music but they need not have been concerned, all the concerts were excellent. Over the course of the festival audiences listened to and saw some phenomenal performances by: violin of Scott Jeffers (Traveler); the magical middle eastern sounds of Mazaj; the maestro guitar duo, Vagabundos De Lujo from Ibiza in the Spanish Balearics; a Irish Céilidh duo, Inu; beautiful signers and musicians, Murager, from Kazakhstan; Indian group Shiv Sadhana Nrutya Sangeet Academy from Gujarat; Rumah Angklung, an Indonesian group; Khalilo, a choir from Georgia, the exceptionally talented Band Montenegro; a vilolinist and accordion player from Montenegro and the traditional lilting tones of FF Trakiika, a group from Bulgaria, entranced and entertained the audiences.
Mazaj – Maren Lueg on Ney and Chas Whittaker on darbuka
Band Montenegro
On Wednesday night the final concert ended with the musicians coming together in a moving interpretation of Samanyolu by Berkant Akgürgen. A famous Turkish musician, sadly he died last year so was not able to hear a unique multicultural version of his famous and much loved song. However, the audience showed their appreciated with a standing ovation.
Murager, from Kazakhstan
Murager, from Kazakhstan
Mustafa Şıkman, chairman of the festival committee, summed up everyone’s feeling with some well chosen words: “Thank you to everyone to came to Fethiye’s first World Music Festival. You have brought the music of the world to Fethiye and have made our town come alive with your talented musical performances and warm displays of friendship. To be honest, we didn’t quite know what to expect when you accepted our invitations but know we have met, listened to your wonderful music and become friends we assure you that next year Fethiye will be proud to welcome you all again when we host an even bigger music festival. Next time we want to include regional music from Turkey as well.”
Céilidh duo, Inu
Shiv Sadhana Nrutya Sangeet Academy from Gujarat
Shiv Sadhana Nrutya Sangeet Academy from Gujarat (Photo: Nichola Chapman)
It has not only been an inspirational event for Fethiye’s community as, according to ney, zurna and saxophone player Maren Lueg and her darbuka playing partner Chas Whittaker, who together form the duo Mazaj, the musicians also experienced Anatolian hospitality, forged new friendships and international contacts. “We have already visited some parts of Turkey, especially Istanbul, but this time have had a truly amazing opportunity get to know the beautiful town of Fethiye. We have met some great Turkish people and have spent time with some great musicians from nine different countries that has given us all insights into each other’s music.”
FF Trakiika, a group from Bulgaria
A multicultural mele: FF Trakiika, a group from Bulgaria joined by other musicians
She continued by saying how the festival had brought the musicians together: “We have also benefitted from this cultural exchange, learnt a lot more about Turkey, a country we already love, as can be seen from our music. Overall we have been overwhelmed and inspired by Fethiye’s hospitality and the friendly and informal atmosphere. I think I can say that we have all been inspired and enriched by this by this experience. Chas and I perform at many festivals and this is one of the few that is not about fame. It has been very down to earth and humbling… and the audiences have been great too.”
Fethiye women’s Zeybek group
The musicians had free time to go on tours of the surrounding sites, including a boat trip around the Gulf of Fethiye. They also visited kayaköy, Saklıkent, Yeşilüzümlü and the ancient sites of Tlos and Cadianda. When they weren’t sight seeing they took the opportunity to join together in some impromptu jamming sessions and all expressed the wish that they would be able to come together in Fethiye again next year.
Scott Jeffers (Traveler)
The Fethiye Culture and Arts Festival started six years ago as a way to introduce local students and school children to the arts. Yunus Nadi, the founder of Turkey’s Cümhüriyet newspaper was born near Fethiye and a Journalism Prize in his memory continues to be a popular part of the festival but now it has become a massive week-long series of events bringing authors, artists and journalists from Turkey and abroad. This year, also for the first time there has been a book fare. In previous years guests have included, Zülfü Livaneli, who last year was awarded the Keys to Fethiye, British author of Birds Without Wings and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernières, Hulda Festival (an exhibition of Turkish Sculptor İlhan Koman’s work by his son Ahmet Koman) and highly respected photojournalist, Ali Öz.
For more information visit: www.fethiyefestival.com (Turkish) or visit Facebook page (English and Turkish)
Serdar and his wife, Pinar, dance to the finale at Fethiye’s World Music Festival
Many thanks to Nichola Chapman for giving me permission to use two of her photographs.
Chas Whittaker taps his foot to multicultural rhythms at Fethiye’s first World Music Festival
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