Turkish music | World Music Central

Cumali Bulduk sitting next to a Turkish saz (long necked lute)

Turkish Delight

Cumali Bulduk, a Belgian musician of Turkish heritage, uses a variety of instruments and textures to create “Bulamadın Mı (Moğol),” a lovely blend of Anatolian…

The album cover for Tel ve Ten by Ozan Baysal features a folk-inspired design with a symmetrical arrangement of four ornate, circular patterns resembling traditional Turkish motifs. Each circle contains petal-like shapes in green or blue, surrounded by intricate details in red, yellow, and white. A delicate white crane stands at the center. The background transitions between deep green and warm red hues, divided by fine golden lines that create a structured, geometric layout.

Album reviews

Ozan Baysal Recreates Şelpe in Tel ve Ten

Madison Quinn April 27, 2025 No Comments baglama Ozan Baysal şelpe Turkish music world music

Ozan Baysal – Tel ve Ten (ARC Music EUCD2976, 2025) Ozan Baysal’s debut album, Tel ve Ten (String and Skin), spotlights the ancient Anatolian baglama…

professional Arabic ney, 7 flutes, Ahmad Abd El Ghani)

Articles

The Ney: A Charming Middle Eastern Reed Flute

Angel Romero March 23, 2025 No Comments Iranian music ney Persian music Turkish music world music

(headline image: professional Arabic ney, 7 flutes, Ahmad Abd El Ghani) The ney (also spelled nay) is an ancient end-blown flute made from reed, widely…

The cover art for "Ceylan" by Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek features a background with vertical, irregular teal lines dripping down into a deep black base. The album title, "Ceylan," is displayed in large, off-white, bold serif typography. A small, circular emblem with a stylized crown in purple is positioned in the upper right corner.

Music videos

Deerly Beloved: Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek Reimagine ‘Ceylan’

World Music Central News Room February 22, 2025 No Comments Anatolia baglama Derya Yıldırım Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek Turkish music world fusion world music

Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek’s latest single, “Ceylan”, released via Big Crown Records, offers a fresh interpretation of the Neşet Ertaş classic, originally written by…

Feyzullah Çinar Eserleri 2 album cover. a black and white phoo of Feyzullah Çinar.

Music videos

“Feyzullah Çınar Eserli 2” Honors a Turkish Folk Legend

World Music Central News Room February 12, 2025 No Comments Erkan Oğur Erol Mutlu Feyzullah Çınar Mehmet Akbaş Murat Çorak Salman Tin Turkish music world music Yeliz Aykaç

The second installment of the Feyzullah Çınar Eserleri project, dedicated to the revered Turkish folk poet Feyzullah Çınar, has been released under the Kalan Music…

This image extracted from the AI generated video of the song Ela Gözlerini Sevdiği Dilber depicts a serene autumn landscape featuring a golden-hued valley with colorful trees surrounding a calm stream. Rolling hills and majestic mountains frame the background under a clear blue sky.

Music videos

Turkish Folk Music Presented with Modern Digital Innovation

World Music Central News Room January 7, 2025 No Comments Anatolian music Burakhan Nur Erdem Erkul Muhlis Berberoğlu Turkish music world music

Turkish label Kalan Music has rolled out a music video that integrates the rich heritage of Turkish folk music with modern digital innovations. In their…

Aylin's Soulgarden - Bu Bir Demdir cover artwork. Aylin holding an enlarged photo of her band over a red background.

Album reviews

Aylin’s Soulgarden Unites Alevi Tradition with Modern Genres on Debut Album

Sonia Keller October 20, 2024 No Comments Alevi music Anatolian music Aylin's Soulgarden Kurdish music Middle Eastern music Turkish music world fusion world music

Aylin’s Soulgarden – Bu Bir Demdir (CPL Music, 2024) Aylin’s Soulgarden, an innovative German band that fuses deeply grounded Alevi music with the modern sounds…

BaBa ZuLa by Tankut Kılınç. A photo of the band posing with masks on.

Music videos

BaBa ZuLa Releases New Single from Upcoming Album

World Music Central News Room September 13, 2024 No Comments Baba Zula psychedelia Turkish music world fusion world music

Turkish psychedelic band BaBa ZuLa has released “Arsız Saksağan (Cheeky Magpie),” the first single from their upcoming album İstanbul Sokakları (Streets of Istanbul), set to…

Articles

Baglama: The Popular Long Necked Turkish Lute

Angel Romero August 18, 2024 No Comments baglama saz Turkish music world music

(headline image: Baglama Cedar Face SDS-408) The baglama (bağlama), a fretted lute belonging to the saz family, is a prominent instrument in Turkish folk music.…

Tito Rinesi & the Dargah Ensemble - Ilahi cover artwork. An arched window.

Album reviews

Tito Rinesi & the Dargah Ensemble Complete Their Engaging Sufi Music Trilogy

Iliana Cabrera June 6, 2024 No Comments Italian music Sufi music Tito Rinesi Tito Rinesi & the Dargah Ensemble Turkish music world fusion world music

Tito Rinesi & the Dargah Ensemble – Ilahi (La Levantina Records, 2024) Tito Rinesi & The Dargah Ensemble have dropped Ilahi, the final chapter in…