Nearly 7,000 fans attended 2009's Istanbulive at SummerStage, making it one of the top-attended Central Park shows of the year. How best to improve on that success? According to event producers Serdar Ilhan and Mehmet Dede, by gearing the festival more toward the casual listener. Ilhan says, "The first Istanbulive featured artists that were instantly recognizable to their indigenous audience: MFÖ, Painted on Water with Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan and Husnu Senlendirici. Each of these are incredible performers, but they all draw from a uniquely Turkish musical experience that may have been less accessible to an American crowd." Continues Dede, "For our encore, we've focused on musicians who make up Turkey's most daring artists, encompassing myriad East-meets-West sounds from Turkish rock to jazz, dance, global pop and folk. With this eclectic, contemporary and cohesive selection of artists, Istanbulive II aims to engage both first-time listeners and Turkish expats alike."
The second annual Istanbulive concert coincides with the city of Istanbul being officially hailed as 2010's European Capital of Culture. Accenting this prestigious honor, Istanbulive II will take place at New York's Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, as part of SummerStage on Saturday, July 3 from 2pm to 7pm. For five hours, several of Turkey's best and brightest artists will perform a free-to-the-public show presented by Serdar Ilhan and Mehmet Dede, with support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Istanbulive II is dedicated to the life and work of the gifted, multi-Grammy Award winning producer, songwriter, and musician Arif Mardin (1932 - 2006). Considered one of the greatest producers of the 20th century, Mr. Mardin helped shape the careers of a long list of superstars including Bette Midler, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, The Bee Gees, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, to name a few. His last recording All My Friends Are Here, co-produced by himself and his son Joe Mardin, gathers a "life's work" of songs that are sung by his world-famous artist friends and fittingly comes out two weeks before the SummerStage concert.
ISTANBULIVE II PERFORMERS
Kenan Dogulu has become one of the most successful entertainers to emerge from Turkey following the release of his debut album, Yaparim Bilirsin, in 1993. His playful lyrics and an urban sound comprised of R&B, hip hop and dance have earned him comparisons to Jamiroquai and Justin Timberlake, and won him a legion of fans for his eight studio and four remix albums. Dogulu represented Turkey in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest with "Shake It Up Sekerim," which placed fourth in the competition.
LISTEN NOW! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4abb0nVYpg
mor ve ötesi is a critically-acclaimed, alternative rock band formed in Istanbul. Since their debut in 1995, they have released seven studio albums including their brand new album Masumiyetin Ziyan Olmaz, and Dunya Yalan Soyluyor, the latter a double-gold-selling album in Turkey. The quartet, whose sound has been likened to Radiohead-meets-Manic-Street-Preachers, have participated in various nationwide anti-nuclear campaigns and worldwide anti-war efforts, supporting the cause with concerts and appearances. The band's Eurovision Song Contest entry for Turkey, the trailblazing "Deli," finished in the seventh position in 2008 and popularized the band in Europe.
LISTEN NOW! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq9J7-6Wo3E
Istanbul Sessions is a quartet led by Ilhan Ersahin, an adventurous saxophonist, keyboardist, composer and founder of the Lower East Side hotspot Nublu. The band captures Ersahin's NYC/Nublu sound and the vibrant spirit of Istanbul with Turkish scales, club-friendly beats, jazz improvisations and a plethora of moods. The band features Alp Ersonmez (bass player for Turkish pop star Tarkan), Turgut Bekoglu (drummer for Turkish diva Sezen Aksu) and percussionist Izzet Kizil, who has played with Bebel Gilberto and Natacha Atlas, among others. Ersahin has composed for Norah Jones, Bebel Gilberto, U-Roy and his bands include Wax Poetic, Love Trio, I led 3 lives and Nublu Orchestra.
LISTEN NOW! http://youtube.com/watch?v=6W_Lgq6m6JY
