Anatolia's popular music

The traditions of the ashik, the Anatolian bards whose names mean 'in love', go back to the Middle Ages. Today, this tradition is maintained by professional musicians, poets and performers who accompany their songs with various long-necked lutes: saz, divan, cura, selpe ... Both mystical and message-driven, ashik is the mirror of its people, as it translates their hopes, joys and suffering. Its language is constantly embellished with symbolic allusions to a reality, which for one reason or another, is often preferable to conceal. The repertoire that Ozan Çagdas and his friends offer follows the compositions of Yunus Emre, mystic of the 13th century, through to that of the contemporary poet Nazim Hikmet, while also passing by the work of the legendary Pir Sultan Abdal (16th century).

Ozan Çagdas was born near to Sivas in a central Anatolian county known for its wealth, musical tradition and poetry. He began playing the saz as a child and started his career out by participating in a singing competition in his home region.

Ozan has been based in Geneva since 1982, where he continues to develop his music career, notably by leading this workshop in Anatolian music, a melting pot of renewal and tradition.

Ozan Cagdas - tél. 022 779 42 29 ou  076 225 20 10 - Email : ozan.cagdas@gmail.com