Caravanserai Residency
May 5 – 10, 2014
FREE ADMISSION WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO PORT TOWNSEND ARTS COMMISSION
Free Concert 7:30 pm, May 10 – Wheeler Theater

The spring 2014 Caravanserai music residency tour features Turkish folk songstress Aysenur Kolivar. Backed by an intimate ensemble, Aysenur Kolivar will take audiences on a captivating exploration of the musical soundscapes and traditions of her Black Sea heritage. A scholar and performer of the unique music from the Black Sea region of northern Turkey, Aysenur Kolivar’s songs feature powerful vocals and driving rhythms. Blending traditional sounds from instruments such as the stringed kemenche and the tulum bagpipe with distinctly modern elements, including electric guitars, cellos, and recordings from the Black Sea, Aysenur’s music brings audiences on a journey through centuries and across oceans.

Aysenur Kolivar was born in Cayeli, a town in the Black Sea region of northeastern Turkey. After her family moved to Izmit, Aysenur spent summers in her youth visiting her hometown to connect with the musical heritage of the Anatolian Black Sea culture. She later studied Turkish Language and Literature at Bogazici University in Istanbul and deepened her exploration of music and folklore with the Bogazici University Folklore Club.

Aysenur is a highly-regarded recording artist and composer whose work is featured on the soundtracks for prominent Turkish films including Yesim Ustaoglu’s documentary Sırtlarındaki Hayat (2004), Ozcan Alper’s Sonbahar (2008), and Yusuf Kurcenli’s Yuregine Sor (2010). Her critically acclaimed debut album, a double CD of Black Sea songs titled Bahceye Hanimeli (“Honeysuckle for the Garden”), was released in 2012 by the renowned independent Turkish label Kalan Records.

In anticipation of her visit, Caravanserai has made available three songs from Aysenur Kolivar’s highly-regarded recent release, Bahceye Hanimeli, as free mp3 downloads throughout her Caravanserai: Turkey tour.

• Kar yagayi (mp3)
• Dida voy nana (mp3)
• E Asiye (mp3)

You can also purchase her full album from Amazon or iTunes.

Explore Turkish music further further by visiting Caravanserai’s Turkish resources page, where you will find a list of suggested recordings and a Spotify Playlist curated by Caravanserai.