Turkey Istanbul Music Festival [3] ‘Ada – The Island’: Çağlar Fidan (vocals, qanun, tambourine), Ezgi Köker (vocals, oud), NikoTeini (Asineth Fotini Kokkala [vocals, qanun, cello], Nikos Papageorgiou [vocals, lute, tambur]). Kiniliada Christos Greek Orthodox Monastery, Istanbul. 25.6.2025. (GT)
One of the major features of the Istanbul Music Festival is using performance spaces in diverse locations, both in the city itself, and to take musical performances to the locality of towns in the region. The ‘Island’ project celebrates the shared cultural heritage of the Turkish and Greek people performing the most evocatively alluring songs from Crete, Megisti, Lesbos, Imbros, and the Princes’ Islands. The theme of this fascinating concert took place on one of the largest islands – Kiniliada, one of the Princes’ Islands in the Marmara Sea. Each of the nine islands have different historical backgrounds; some were refuges for victims of nearby wars, other islands were used for mining, and more recently, the sandy beaches attract tourists in offering shelter from the overwhelming heat of the city.
Among the refugees taking up living on the islands were Greeks and Jews, and the Greek Orthodox Monastery on Kiniliada proved an excellent venue for this evening that brought together Turkish musicians and the Greek NikoTeini duo in songs of beautiful lyricism and harmony.
The opening fervent yet curiously entitled song, ‘The Istanbul islands are hellbent for leather’, was rhythmic and melodic. The vocals were led by the beautifully lyrical soprano of Ezgi Köker in her intensely emotive singing – her singing and playing on an oud instrument were highlights of the evening. The second song by Avram Levi was sung by Çağlar Fidan and his ardently heroic tenor was accompanied by harder rhythms on the qanun and tambourine. The tenor Niko Papageorgiou sang a solo piece by Meis backed by instrumental playing of great beauty. The song ‘You are the only star on the horizon’ by Tanburi Ali Efendi was of a wistful sadness, performed by the gorgeously expressive soprano of Asineth Fotini Kokkala. A theme of searching was portrayed in another anonymous Greek song that was buoyed by beautiful tonality from the Greek instruments – this was about love and life, beautifully performed by Köker with a melancholy sadness.
The alluringly romantic ‘Tersa’s beauty places its spot on his neck’ by Ilkar was upbeat and joyful and highlighted by plucking rhythms on the stringed instruments. The work song ‘The group was dying like a flame in the sea’ by Levi, again featured Fidan’s beautifully rhythmic playing of both tambourine and the qanun. A feature of the concert was that each song was introduced by one or other of the performers, Burnaz Hasan Aga’s song was of a foxtrot melody that emerged playfully with the audience sharing in the comic lyrics. Levi’s song ‘The sun still doesn’t come down from the sky’ was idyllically performed by Köker in a melodically beautiful rhythmic elegy to beauty and nature.
The anonymous song ‘Come tonight at sunset’ from the island of Santorini hinted in its rhythm of the movie Zorba the Greek in its upbeat, lyricism and ethnic colour. There was a lovely flow in Nikos Papageorgiou’s singing of Akin’s piece ‘I am happy with Turkish people’ and of yearning in its emotive sensuality. Köker again was the star of the tragic, monodic song ‘Being again without you doesn’t suit me at all’ that was touched by an affected overtone. Sadly, the evening came to an early close because of the last ferry back to Istanbul so the performance ended with a rhythmically vibrant colourful ‘I am waiting on the island shore’ with everyone singing this popular song evincing the common spirit of Turks and Greeks united by their art and culture.
This concert took place in the open space of the Greek Orthodox Monastery, and as in other venues, was evocative with birds nesting on the surrounding buildings of the monastery, and at one moment, we could hear the evening prayer of the monks. This was another unforgettable moment in this superbly organised festival. The Istanbul Music Festival is one of several arts festivals organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and the Arts with the major company Borusan as its principal sponsor in the 53rd annual festival. The foundation holds annual film, design and a biennial festival. For further information click here.
Gregor Tassie
Featured Image: ‘Ada – The Island’ © Salih Üstündağ
