Through a spectacular synthesis of mystic Sufi music, subtle jazz and repetitive claps from a keen audience, the Mercan Dede Quartet’s performance marked the start of the 5th edition of the Turkish Jazz Week in Kosovo.
Over half an hour before the performance began, the Red Hall at the Palace of Youth and Sports in Prishtina was jam-packed with people who had come to enjoy the first performance of this year’s Turkish Jazz Week.
For the fifth year in a row, the Turkish Jazz Week will introduce Kosovars to Turkish virtuosos, blending in very well with the ever-growing live-music culture which is enjoyed in Prishtina’s cafes and concert halls alike.
Organized by the Yunus Emre Institute in Prishtina, an initiative that promotes Turkish culture worldwide, this year’s edition will feature five performances between April 12-19. On Wednesday, Aydin Esen Trio will play in the Red Hall from 8 pm.
Accompanied by four extremely talented players, Mercan Dede, a world-renowned experimental musician kicked off the jazz week.The performance opened with an energetic lead in – the ancient instruments were plugged in and no sound could be heard except the static resonating from the amplifiers.
As the Montreal-based DJ adjusted his mixing console, one of his band members quickly picked up the kamancheh, a bowed string instrument not unlike the Albanian lahuta, and started sliding the bow along the strings. The piercing vibrations of the saz quickly followed, creating a rather soothing atmosphere that brought with it echoes of the Anatolian plain.
The third band member started drumming on at least three different percussion instruments simultaneously, causing involuntary head bobbing and ceaseless clapping. Every picked string seemed to be in perfect alignment with my heartbeat.A combination of impeccable rhythm and a similarity to local tunes could have initiated this enthusiastic response.
Mercan Dede in Prishtina’s Turkish Jazz Week.
A wooden flute then joined the choir and Dede turned on his sampler and started playing low pitched bass lines coupled with intermittent mumblings in Turkish. It was as if the whole place became a narrow and coffee-scented Istanbul street. The constant changes in rhythm and repetitive drum beats felt like a soundtrack set to a film’s plot twists. It is too bad the audience had to remain seated.
For a moment, the players’ nimble hands stopped and a dark-robed man slowly entered the stage. The music started again at the same pace as he flung his coat onto the ground and revealed his alabaster dress. The majestic whirling dervish spinned and the wave-motion of his dress enthralled the whole audience.
Dede dedicated his last song to the young children in the audience.
“We need the wars to stop and live in brotherhood and sisterhood; this wonderful new generation will make it possible,” he said smiling. .
Another dervish neared the stage, this time dressed pitch-black. His skirt was covered with little square-mirrors that reflected the strategically positioned lights. The only thing I can compare his performance is to a rogue planet wandering in bottomless space. When the performance ended, the clapping became stronger and Dede thanked Prishtina for making him feel like home.
The Turkish Jazz Week will be held April 12-19, 2016 in Prishtina. More information about the events and their location can be found online on their official website and on Facebook.