Dünya Müzik Enstitüsü'nün destegi ile Dogu Avrupa, Balkanlar, Makedonya, Rusya ve Sirbistan-Karadaga'dan birçok sanatçinin festivale katilacagini belirten Ilhan, `ABD'de dünyanin diger farkli kültür mozaiklerini ve bu kültürlere ait müzik türlerini bir araya getirmek amaciyla bu festivali organize ediyoruz. New York'ta 6 farkli düzenlenecek festivalde 8 gün boyunca çesitli gruplar konserler verecek` diye konustu. Ilhan, New Yorka'lularin büyük ilgi gösterdigi festivali geleneksek hale getirmek istediklerini de ifade etti.

New York Çingene Festivalia'ne katilmasi beklenen grup ve sanatçilar söyle:

Gogol Bordello, Hüsnü Senlendirici, Ivo Papasov ve Yuri Yunakov, Leningrad, Zlatne Uste Brass Band, Hungry March Band, Nickodemus & The Endangered Species Band Live!, Ilhan Ersahin, Zagnut Orkestarsi ,Romashka, Via Romen, Maia Group, Ritam Plus Dolomites, Luminescent Orchestrii, Sir Bato The Yugos Gypsy Extravaganza, DJ Joro-Boro, DJ Sasa Crnobrnja Globesonic Dancer Elena Lentini Dancer Layla Isis, Flamenco Dancer Sol ve Gypsy Dancer Sinem.

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Unutulmaz Sairi New York'ta Hatirlamak
Yonca Poyraz Doðan
02/05/2002

New York’ta “Unutulmaz Sairi Hatirlamak” ve “Nice Binyillara Sevgili Nazim” adiyla dogumunun yüzüncü yildönümünde Nazim Hikmet’i anmak için özel toplantilar düzenlendi. Kalabalik bir grubun izledigi ilk etkinlikte sanatçilar sairin siirlerini yorumlarken sair ve insan olarak Nazim’i anlattilar.

Nazim Hikmet, 1961 yilinda Dogu Berlin’de yazdigi siir-otobiyografide: Yazilarim otuz kirk dilde basilir Türkiye’mde Türkçemle yasak, demisti.

O zamandan bugünlere pek çok sey degisti. Nazim’in hem sesi, hem eserleri, hem de adeta kendisi New York’taydi. Nazim’in siirlerinin en iyi sahne yorumcularindan olan Genco Erkal bu gösteriye Amerika’da katilmanin anlamini dile getirirken söyle dedi. "Nazim'in bir siirinde diyor ki Avrupa'yi, Asya'yi, Afrika'yi dolastim, bir tek Amerikanlar vize vermediler. O gelemedi ama biz onun sesini getirmis oluyoruz bugün izleyicilere."

Gecede sairin birkaç siirini yorumlayan tiyatro sanatçisi Tilbe Saran ise "Nazim herhalde buralarda bir yerde gülüyordur gibime geliyor, Amerika'da, bir yandan da hosuna gidiyordur," dedi.

Nazim Hikmet’i anma gecesinin yapildigi New York’taki 600 kisilik Kaye tiyatrosunda bos yer yoktu. Izleyiciler arasinda Türkler oldugu kadar hayati zorunlu sürgünler, hapisler, hasret ve ayriliklarla geçen bu sairi tanimak isteyen Amerikalilar da vardi. Gecede Nazim’in Ingilizce siir kitaplari satildi.

Anma gecesinde Amerikali gazeteci Stephen Kinzer de vardi. New York Times gazetesinin Istanbul’daki ilk büro sefi olarak 4 yil görev yapmis olan Kinzer’in Türkiye’deki izlenimlerini anlattigi “Hilal ve Yildiz: Iki Dünya Arasindaki Türkiye” adli bir de kitabi var. Bu kitabinda Nazim’a da bir bölüm ayiran Kinzer, konusmasinda sairin yasamindaki çeliskilere degindi:

"Nazim’a hapishanedeyken Devlet Operasi tarafindan Fransiz ve Italyan operalarinin sözlerini Türkçeye çevirme görevi verilmisti. Bu onun hayatindaki çeliskilerin bir kismini yansitiyor. Nazim ayrica aykiri uçlarda olan vatanseverlik ve sovenizm duygulari arasinda bir çesit uzlasma saglayan bir sair. Vatanseverlik çok güçlü bir duygu ancak sovenizm, kiskançlik, kizginlik gibi tehlikeli duygulara yol açabalir. Nazim bize sovenizmden uzak ve uluslararasi düsünceye yakin bir yurt severlik örnegi gösterdi."

Gazeteci Stephen Kinzer, Nazim’In anlattiklarinin çok temel insani duygular oldugunu ve onu anlamak için mutlaka belli milliyete bagli, belli bir ülkede dogmus olmak gerekmedigini söyledi. New York’taki Nazim gecesinde konusma yapanlardan biri de gazeteci-yazar Zeynep Oral di. Oral, bir Orta Asya ziyareti sirasinda yol kenarinda vasita beklerken yanlarina yanasan köylü kadinlarin nereli oldugunu sordugunu ve kendisinin de Türkiye’den oldugunu söyledigini anlatti. Kadinlar Oral'in Türk olduguna ancak Nazim Hikmet'ten bir siir okursa inanacaklarini söylemisler o da Nazim'dan bir siir okumustu. Nazim gecesinde farkli bir yorum da sanatçi Ilhan Mimaroglu’na aitti. Mimaroglu kendi besteledigi müzik ve piyanoda Aysegül Durakoglu esliginde, Nazim’in “Makinalasmak” siirini söyledi.

New York’ta Güngör Mimaroglu ve Serdar Ilhan’in öncülügünde düzenlenen Nazim Hikmet’I dogumunun 100’üncü yildönümünde anma gecesinde sahneye en son sanatçi Zülfü Livaneli çikti. Yillar boyunca Nazim’in siirlerini de müzigiyle yorumlayan Livaneli, bu defa piyanoda Yasin Uygunca, kanunda Tamer Pinarbasi’yla beraberdi. Livaneli sahneye çikmadan önce bu defa büyük bir orkestrasi olmadigini düsündügünü ancak salondaki izleyicilerden olusan 600 kisilik koroyu unuttugunu belirtti. Gece boyunca bu 600 kisilik koro Livaneli'ye eslik ederken Nazim'in sarki olan siirleri de New York semalarina yükseldi.

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NAZIM’A NEW YORK’TA DEV TÖREN

Ünlü sair Nazim Hikmet için New York’ta 100.yil anma töreni yapilacak.Sair Nazim Hikmet için düzenlenen törene bir çok ünlü isim katiliyor.14 Nisan aksami Kaye Playhouse Manhattan'da gerçeklesecek dev geceye, Disisleri bakanligi, New York turizm ataseligi, Özel Internatinal firmasi,Marmara Manhattan oteli,St. Markx Cafe ve Turkish Kitchen destek verdiler.
30 Mart 2002 Cumartesi 12:19 - Haber Vitrini

CENGIZ TOPRAK

(NEW YORK) Ünlü sair Nazim Hikmet için New York’ta 100.yil anma töreni yapilacak.Sair Nazim Hikmet için düzenlenen törene bir çok ünlü isim katiliyor.
ABD’deki ünlü organizatör Serdar Ilhan ile Güngör MimaroGlu’nun müstereken organize ettigi törene, Stephen Kinzer, Genco Erkal,Zülfü Livaneli,Can Dündar,Ilhan Mimaroglu,Aysegül Durakoglu,Tilbe Saran,Latife Mardin,Zisan Ugurlu,Randy Blessing,Mutlu Konuk,Yasin Uygunca ve Tamer Pinarbasi’da katilacaklar. 14 Nisan aksami Kaye Playhouse Manhattan'da gerçeklesecek dev geceye, Disisleri bakanligi, New York turizm ataseligi, Özel Internatinal firmasi,Marmara Manhattan oteli,St. Markx Cafe ve Turkish Kitchen destek verdiler.

Nazim Hikmet’i New York’ta anmak etkinliklerine 17 Nisan günü ünlü gazeteci Can Dündar’in ‘Nazim Hikmet’ adindaki filmi gösterime sunularak devam edilecek.Filmin müzigi Fazil Say tarafindan hazirlandi.

Nazim Hikmet’i New Yorkta anmak gecelerine ilgi bir hayli büyük.Programi organize eden Serdar Ilhan, New York’taki Nazim Hikmet geceleri için biletlerin büyük bir bölümünün satildigini açikladi.

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Unutulmayan Sair Nazim Hikmet Anildi. / April 14 2002
Dogumunun 100. Yildonumunde Nazim Hikmet

Isik Binyili, New York
Gungor Mimargolu ve Serdar Ilhan'in organizasyonunda, Manhattan'da 14 Nisan 2002 tarihinde, Pazar aksami, Dannie Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College'de, Nazim Hikmet'in Yuzuncu Dogum Yildonumu anisina gorkemli bir etkinlik duzenlendi. 700 kisilik salonda tek bir bos yer yoktu. Geceye New York'ta yasayan Turkler kadar yabancilar da ilgi gosterdi.
Nazim Hikmet'i New York'ta "Anma Gecesi"ni, Gungor Mimaroglu ve Serdar Ilhan bir yildiz yagmuruna donusturdu. Etkinlikte Nazim'dan bestelerini seslendiren Zulfu Livaneli, 13 Nisan'da The Manhattan Marmara'da gerceklestirilen bir resepsiyonda Gungor Mimarolgu ve Ahmet Gursoy ile birarada.

Turkiye Cumhuriyeti vatandasligindan cikarildigi yeni kesinlesen Nazim Hikmet'in Amerika'da layikiyla anilmasina gonullu olan Gungor Mimaroglu ve Serdar Ilhan; "Nazim'a duydugumuz sevgi, saygi ve hayranlik ozgun amacimizi olusturuyor. Ayrica Nazim Hikmet, Lorca, Mayakowski ve Neruda'yla birlikte caga damgasini vuran dort buyuk sairden biridir," aciklamasini yaptilar etkinlik oncesi.

Geceye katkida bulunan sanatci ve yazarlar ise: Kiymet Coskun, Aysegul Durakoglu Berent Enc, Genco Erkal, Stephen Kinzer, Mutlu Konuk, Zulfu Livaneli, Latife Mardin, Ilhan Mimaroglu, Zeynep Oral, Tamer Pinarbasi, Tilbe Saran, Zisan Ugurlu ve Yasin Uygunca.

Gecenin sunumunu Berent Enc yapti. Programin acilisi olarak da, Nazim Hikmet'in "Otobiyografi" adli siirini Ingilizce okudu.

Brown Universitesi'nde, "Karsilastirmali Edebiyat" dersleri veren Prof. Mutlu Konuk, ayni zamanda Nazim Hikmet'in siirlerini Amerikan edebiyatina kazandirmak icin bir omur harcayan iki cevirmenden biri. Bundan yirmibesyil once Nazim'dan siirleri tek tek cevirerek, Amerika'da yayinlanan bazi siir dergilerinde yayinlatmayla baslar, Prof. Konuk ve Randy Blasing'in Nazim Hikmet'i, Amerikan edebiyatina kazandirma girisimleri. Ve bugun, sekizinci baskilari tukenen Ingilizce kitaplarina, yeni baskilari eklendi. Etkinlige parelel dinleyicilere yayinevi tarafindan sunulmasina ozen gosterilen, Randy Blasing ve Mutlu Konuk'un cevirileriyle, "Insan Manzaralari" ve "Nazim Hikmet'in Siirleri" adli Ingilizce kitaplar, Persea Kitabevi tarafindan, genisletilmis baskilariyla yayinlandi. Nazim Hikmet'in dunya literatundeki yeri ve siir dilinin bir degerlendirmesini iceren ve 20nci yuzyil dunya siirinde en fazla yeri almasini saglayan nedenlerden baslicasi olarak, Turk siirinin geleneksel motif ve Osmanli siirinden etkileri, uluslararasi modernist bir boyut getirmesi olarak degerlendiren, kapsamli bir konusma yapti Prof. Konuk.

Cumhuriyet Gazetesi yazarlarindan Zeynep Oral ise Nazim Hikmet'in ice ice gecmis siirleri, yasam ve karakterini alti kavramla tanimladi: 1) Dusunce, 2) Yaraticilik, 3) Direnc, 4) Ask-Sevgi, ("Ask icin olebilirdi", seklinde ozetliyor Nazim'in ask'la olan iliskisini) 5) Cesaret ve 6) Empati. Oral, konusmasinin sonunda ayrica, kendisinin de bir oykusunu anlatti. Moskova'ya bir gezi sirasinda, arabanin ariza yaptigi bir yerde, her tarafin daglarla kapli ve beklemekten baska yapilacak bir sey olmadigi bir zaman diliminde, o esnada yanlarindan gecerken bir trakto durur. Icinde alti cocuk ve iki koylu var iken Oral'in yaninda olan tercumani konusmaya baslar koylulerden biriyle. Tercumani, o esnada, Zeynep Oral'i onlara, Turk oldugunu da belirterek, tanitir.

Ama iki Rus koylusu, kuskuyla Zeynep Oral'in Turk olduguna inanmazlar. Once, Turkce birseyler soylemesini isterler. Oral'da, rakamlardan baslar. Inandirici olmaz. Ikinci bir deneme de yine onlari ikna etmez. Sonra iki Rus koylusu kendi aralarinda bir konusma yapar ve Oral'a donerek; Tercuman'a, o halde bize Nazim Hikmet'ten bir siir okursa, onun Turk olduguna inaniriz, derler. Ve Oral, ancak Nazim'dan bir siir okuyarak kendisinin Turk vatandasi olduguna ikna eder Rus koyluleri. Bu oykusunun sonucunda Oral, ulkesi disinda kendisinin Turk vatandasi oldugunu ancak Nazim Hikmet'le kanitlayabildigini, asla unutamayacagini vurguladi.

Besteci ve yazar Ilhan Mimaroglu, Nazim Hikmet'in 1923 yilinda yazdigi "Makinalasmak Istiyorum" adli siirini, kendi bestesi ve Aysegul Durakoglu'nun piyanosu esliginde, okudu. Gerek Mimaroglu'nun siiri okumasindaki ozgunluk, gerekse bu siir icin yazilmis bestesini, Aysegul Durakoglu'nun piyanodaki esligi, gecenin doyumsuz surprizlerindendi.

"Unutulmayan Sair'i Anmak" gecesinin uluslararasi boyutta bir konugu ise Stephen Kinzer'di. Kinzer, "Crescent & Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds" adli kitabinda da, Turkiye'nin en cok sevdigi sairin, kendisinin de en cok sevdigi sair Nazim Hikmet oldugunu belirtmis, Nazim'a ayrilmis bir bolumde. Kinzer, konusmasinin baslangicinda, Turkiye'ye gittiginde nasil Turkiye'yi taniyabilir sorusuna yanitlar ararken, ilk olarak bolca raki icmesi onerilir. Sonunda bu oneriyi uygular ve gecenin sonunda, kendisini evine bir arkadasi birakmak durumunda kaldiginda, Tarabya'da arabadan disari cikip taze havayi soluyunca, arkadasina doner ve sorar, "Gercekten Turkiye'yi tanimak icin ilk adimi attim mi?" Arkadasi da yanitlar, "Evet, ilk adimi attin, bir sonraki adim ise Nazim Hikmet'i tanimak."

Kinzer ayni zamanda, Nazim Hikmet ile Ataturk'un birbirine "en cok" benzedigiyle ilgili bir degerlendirme de yapti. Ikisi de Selanik dogumlu olmasi nedeniyle, ayni sehirde dogan, ikisi de sarisin ve gozleri mavi ve ikisi de kendi idealleri ve yetileri dogrultusunda, daha iyi bir Turkiye icin idealleri olan ve ugurda buyuk mucadeleler veren iki buyuk adam. Evet, Ataturk, bugun 20nci yuzyilin yetistirdigi en etkin devlet adamlarindan biri. Nazim Hikmet ise, uluslararasi bir sair, barisci, humanist, ve de "romantik" bir kominist.

Kinzer, Nazim Hikmet'in 1950 yillar 1960'li yillarin ilk donemi olmak uzere butun dunyayi dolastigini ve yalniz Amerikalilarin vize vermemis olmasini da gundeme getirdi. Kendi cocukluk donemine rastlayan o yillarin, Sair'in yasadigi ulkeyi ziyaret etmek istemesinin engellenmesinden duydugu uzuntuyu belirtti. Nazim'in Amerika'yi seyahat etme dusunun gerceklesememesinin nedeninin, o donemdeki Amerika'nin "komunist ideoloji"e bakisinin bir sonucu oldugunu ifade etti. Bugun itibariye, Nazim Hikmet yasadigi surecte Amerika'yi gorememis, seyahat izni verilmemisti ama dogumundan yuzyil ve hayattan ayrilisindan otuzdokuz yil sonra, Amerika'nin kulturel baskenti, New York'ta yediyuzkisinin katilimiyla, sair anilmis ve dogum gunu de, uluslararasi bir katilimla kutlanmisti.

Kinzer'in konusmasinda ayrica, Walt Whitman ve Nazim Hikmet arasinda bir paralellik kurmasi da carpiciydi. Nazim'in yasadiklarina benzer, Amerika da Whitman'a paralel acilar yasatmisti. Kinzer, konusmasinin sonucunda, Whitman'dan, "My Dear America Is Singing" adli siiri okudu ve Whitman'in Amerika'nin sarkisini dinledigi insanlari, siirinde ifade ettigi gibi, ayni sekilde Nazim'da, Turkiye'nin insanlarinin sarkilarini dinledi ve ifade etti, seklinde, konusmasini tamamladi.

Geceye, babasi ile ilgili bir aniyla Latife Mardin de katkida bulundu. Mardin'in babasi Yusuf Ziya Onis ile Nazim Hikmet'in olaganustu kosullarda bir araya gelmesi ve o kosullarda gelisen dostluklarinin bir anisi olarak, Nazim Hikmet'in, Yusuf Ziya Onis'in yagli boya bir portresinin o gunlerden kalan hazine degerinde bir ani olarak, dinleyicilerle paylasti ve Nazim'in yaptigi bu portre, dinleyicilere bir sovale uzerinden sahneden sergilendi.

Mardin, konusmasinda babasi ile Nazim Hikmet'in dostlugunu anlatti. Yusuf Ziya Onis Bey, gercekci, organizator ve de 1924 yilinda, Turkiye Milli Futbol Federasyonun baskani olarak, Turk Milli Takimini, Paris, Olimpiyatlarina katilmasini saglayan farkli bir alanda etkin bir isim. Ancak onlarin tanismalari, 1939'da hapishanede gerceklesir. Bu donemde farkli goruslere sahip olsalar da, dost olmalarinin bir sonucu olarak, Sair, Yusuf Ziya Bey'in bir portresini yapar ve hayattan ayrilana kadar da, Yusuf Ziya Bey'in evinde bu portre asilidir. Daha sonra bu resim, babasindan Latife Mardin'e gecer.

Genco Erkal iki yil kadar once, Nazim Hikmet'in kitabinin bir uyarlamasi olan "Insan Manzaralari" adli tek kisilik oyununu New York'ta sahnelemisti. Genco, adeta tek kisilik bir oyun performansinda, sairden secme siirleri yasayarak ve yasatarak okudu. "Davet", "Memet", "Nazim Vatan Haini Diyorlar" gibi bircok siir; adeta o ozlemleri, acilari, hasretleri yasarcasina okurken, dinleyicilere, hem Nazim'in yarim asir once yazilmis siirlerinin, duygusunu, coskusunu, isyanini, haksizligini, ozlemini, hasretini ve de umutlarini yansitirken, ayni zamanda Nazim'in siirleri araciligiyla, bugun hala degismeyen bir cok deger ve duyguda dinleyiceleri yeniden bulusturdu. Ornegin; "Bu memleket bizim", adli misrada, Genco Erkal, bu misrayi tum dinleyicilerle koro olarak da seslendirdi. Evet, uzakta da olsak, "Turkiye bizimdi," ve de Nazim'in yazdigi gunku kadar anlamli, sicak, taze ve buralardan da Turkiye'ye sahip cikmamizi hatirlatti bir kez daha...

Gecenin son sanatcisi olarak sahne alan Zulfu Livaneli, Nazim Hikmet'in siirlerinden ilk olarak 1978 yilinda besteledigi muziklerden olusan bir plak yayinlandigini ve bu plak, gerek Turkiye'de, gerek Almanya, Yunanistan, Fransa ve bircok ulkede cok buyuk bir ilgi gordugune degindi. Daha sonra, Istanbul'dan kendi orkestrasinin programa katilamadigindan New York'ta yasayan piyanist Yasin Uygunca ve kanunda Tamer Pinarbasi esliginde; Karli Kayin Ormani, Yigidim Aslanim, Leylim Ley gibi sarkilarini, yediyuzkisilik koro esliginde seslendirdi.

Zulfu Livaneli, Nazim'in siirlerini, ozgun muzik yorumlariyla gerek Turkiye'de ve gerekse yurtdisinda, 1978 yilinda ilk yayinlanan "Nazim Turkuleri" adli plagindan bugune, ortak muzik kulturumuze kazandirdi. Ornegin; New York gibi bir sehirde, farkli kusaklarin bir arada ve farkli donemlerde bu metropol kentine yerlesmis olmalarina ragmen, "Nazim Turkuleri"ni, boylesine yediyuz kisilik bir koro ile paylasabilmenin guzelligini yasatti bize Livaneli, "Unutulmayan Sair Nazim Hikmet" gecesinde.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

JAZZ MADE IN TURKEY - TURKISH JAZZ FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK

Between 09/24/2004 and 09/26/2004

LINCOLN CENTER, ALICE TULLY HALL - SEPT 24-26, 2004

For the first time on American soil, the Ministry of Turkish Culture and Tourism will present a program saluting the universal language of jazz at Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall, Sept. 24 - 26.

The Jazz Made in Turkey Festival, hosted by Ahmet Ertegün, Arif Mardin and Ilhan Mimaroglu, who will share their unparalleled knowledge of music with audiences, and produced by Serdar Ilhan, will feature Turkish jazz artists and international guest stars performing a series of six concerts over the three-day period.

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Volume 76, Number 11 | August 2 - 8, 2006 Nightclub’s reopening is not music to board’s ears

By Janet Kwon

Mehanata Meyhane: rowdy club or cultural hub? Mehanata’s new owner, Serdar Ilhan, says that along with the establishment’s new digs at 113 Ludlow St., it’s had an image swap as well. “It used to be a very rowdy club,” Ilhan said of the old Mehanata on Canal St. He added that he wanted the new location’s image to be totally severed from the old one.

However, working with the Lower East Side Performance Arts, LLC, a group that promotes Turkish, Balkan and Gypsy culture in New York City, the theme will remain similar — focusing on all things related to these cultures. Mehanata Meyhane means, “wine bar” and “tavern” in Bulgarian and Turkish, respectively.

The main difference between the two? Whereas the first location was primarily a nightclub setting, the new Ludlow location would serve as a cultural center to promote Eastern European culture, which will include dance and music performances, food and drinks, said Ilhan.

“The new place is totally different.... It’s going to be all about music and culture,” he added. The remaining links between the new and old are the cabaret and liquor licenses that need to be transferred for Ilhan to open shop.

Ilhan’s new plans, however, may not see the light of day, since Community Board 3 recommended denial of these licenses at the full board meeting held July 25, where a group of approximately 20 Mehanata supporters, which included artists, residents and general fans of the club, showed up to show their allegiance.

“They [board members] listened, but I’m not sure that they understood,” Ilhan said.

During the public session portion of the meeting, Mehanata advocates described the facility as a “cultural center” that would encompass Turkish, Balkan and other Eastern European cultures, offering master classes in dance and music during the day and performance shows by night with the backdrop of a restaurant and bar.
However, C.B. 3 passed a resolution to deny Mehanata the licenses — stating that the overriding issue was the quality of life of the immediate community.

“This is an area that is well known to have a problem with late-night crowds and noise,” Susan Stetzer, C.B. 3’s district manager, said in a phone interview. “The concern was the impact of pedestrian and vehicular traffic and additional noise and that sort of thing on the streets.

“It was a concern about the additional traffic on the street; it was not a statement, one way or the other, about this particular venue,” Stetzer added.

During the meeting, however, Cem Sarioglu, Ilhan’s close family friend, said he felt the board should have given Mehanata more of a chance to present its case.

“They were so ready to say no; it was such a strange feeling. I understand their concern that they don’t want any bad things on their block, but in my opinion, it wasn’t fair,” Sarioglu said.

According to Alexandra Militano, chairperson of C.B. 3’s State Liquor Authority and Economic Development Committee, the main issues at hand were the already overcrowded and congested conditions on that part of Ludlow St., which would only be amplified with the addition of such a medium-to-large-scale business.

“There wasn’t sufficient assurance from the applicant as to how they would respond to these issues,” Militano said in a phone interview.

Militano also said that there was a discrepancy in what the applicant had presented at the S.L.A. Committee meeting regarding the building’s occupancy compared with what was presented at the full board meeting.

In C.B. 3’s resolution, one of the reasons cited for refusing Mehanata the licenses was that “there was reason to believe that the location, which has already had several nights of operation, will operate as a nightclub,” referring to printouts of an online blog that described drug use and rowdy partying at Mehanata’s reopening in June. Similarly, a recent review of the new space in New York magazine pined for “the old depravity” of the Bulgarian bar’s former location, but appreciatively noted the presence of the familiar “Get Naked, Get A Free Shot” sign “that encourages the sweaty swarm of fashion brats and ex-pats to get every bit as raw as their brick- and stone-walled surroundings.” New York described the music as “gypsy-style Euro stomp.”

Yet, according to Ilhan, Mehanata never had an official reopening. In fact, he said that he’s losing about $25,000 for every month he is not able to conduct business – since he is lacking the appropriate licenses. However, he has held private events in the Ludlow space for artists who wanted to hold after-parties there, but he emphasized that these events were not open to the public.

Ilhan said that his next step is to go to the State Liquor Authority directly. “I’m sure there is more of a chance that people will understand more than the community board,” he said.

At the July 25 meeting, it was suggested that Mehanata apply for a beer and wine license instead of a full liquor license. However, with the money that he is already losing, Ilhan said that the process would drag out even longer, adding to the already prolonged delay.

Abe Burmeister, a designer who lives one door down from Mehanata’s new Ludlow locale, attended the meeting to support his new neighbors.

“They’re making a short-sighted decision,” Burmeister said of the board’s resolution, adding, “I can’t say that I was very impressed with the people who are supposed to be leading the community.

“[Mehanata] is very unique and plays incredible music. They’re bringing culture around the world that I have no access to. There’s nothing else like it in New York,” Burmeister said.

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NEW YORK SALUTES THE FIRST GYPSY FEST OF ITS KIND
RomaNetwork
Aiming to offer a broad perspective on various cultures and musical genres in a city that’s considered at the crossroads of many cultures, the New York Gypsy Festival is presenting groups from the burgeoning gypsy music scene collectively for the first time. Taking place October 29 through November 6, 2005 at The Roxy,
Symphony Space and various downtown clubs in NYC, the festival will highlight local and international talent of gypsy (Romani) music.
Covering a wide geographical region including Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia and the Balkans, the rich diversity of this music is on full display at this festival. The highlight is the show on November 6th at The Roxy featuring NYC’s very! own, Gogol Bordello, a gypsy punk rock band with a wild energy. Also on the bill that night is Husnu Senlendirici (founder of the gypsy-funk band Laco Tayfa) who will fly in from Turkey for an exclusive jam session of The Clarinet All-stars featuring Senlendirici, Lefteri Bournias (Greece) and Ismail Lumanovski (Macedonia). Additionally, The Hungry March Band, a 20+ piece marching band, the 12-piece powerhouse
brass band Zlatne Uste, DJs and gypsy dancers will round off an 8-hour marathon. The festival also includes appearances by Bulgarian masters Ivo Popasov & Yuri Yunakov and Russian ska band Leningrad (produced by World Music Institute and Metpo.com, respectively). Dancing is an important aspect of
the Romani folklore and the festival aims to highlight that aspect with dance performances by ethnic dancers.
The New York Gypsy Festival is produced by two seasoned event production & nightlife patrons: Serdar Ilhan, who put toget! her the hugely successful Jazz Made In Turkey Festival at Lincoln Center in 2004 and co-owns Maia Meyhane and Alex Dimitrov, who built an underground phenomena with Mehanata, The Bulgarian Bar. Says Ilhan, “New York’s cultural diversity makes sense to put together this festival here. We are trying to open the door to world music and more specifically gypsy (Roma) music in the US by an accessible festival.”The programming for the festival was done very carefully in order to allow the mix of many genre-bending acts from punk-rock to jazz, hip-hop, global beats, funk and cabaret music with an underlying gypsy aesthetic.
The festival will continue throughout the week at downtown venues Maia Meyhane, Mehanata and nublu with local bands and DJs presenting an eclectic mix of world, gypsy and dance music in a cozy atmosphere.

For more information , request a photo or music, please contact:
Tel. 917-498-8652
E-mail: contact@nygypsyfest.com

Schedule Of Performances
Sat, Oct 29th Ivo Papasov & Yuri Yunakov At Symphony Space (Produced by World Music Institute)

Sun, Oct 30th Leningrad, at The Roxy, (Produced by Metpo.com)
Mon, Oct 31st Gypsy Halloween with Zagnut Orkestar at Maia Meyhane with DJ Pepe
Gypsy Halloween with Leningrad at Mehanata with Dj Joro Boro

Wed, Nov 2nd Gaspacho Anadolus at Maia Meyhane with DJ Sam
Ritam Plus at Mehanata with DJ Joro Boro
Thurs, Nov 3rd Romashka at Maia Meyhane Dj PePe
Kinos Hronos at Mehanata & Dj Pedro
Sir Bato the Yugo’s Gypsy Extravaganza at nublu

Fri, Nov 4th Husnu Senlendirici with Maia Group at Maia Meyhane
Dolomites at Mehanata & DJ Joro Boro
Luminescent Orchestrii at nublu

Sat, Nov 5th Nickodemus & The Endangered Species Band Live at Maia & Nickodemus spins
Zagnut Orkestar at Mehanata & DJ Joro Boro
Wonderland feat. H.Senlendirici & Ilhan Ersahin at nublu

Sun, Nov 6th Gogol Bordello, The Clariner All-stars feat Husnu Senlendirici, Ismail Lumanovski, Lefteris
Bournias with Maia Group, Hungry March Band, Zlatne Uste, DJs and dancers at The Roxy
Very Special Guests and DJ Joro Boro and Pepe
Dancer Special Guest Dancer Elena Lentini, Layla Isis (Oriental) and Sol(Flamenco)

Info About Bands, DJs & Dancers:
Gogol Bordello: The headlining band of the festival, Gogol Bordello is the idea of Eugene Hutz, an Ukraine immigrant who built his band's international underground reputation by his innovative blend of Eastern European Gypsy and Western culture and a stage show that resembles a three-ring circus of surreal stimuli. He also appears alongside Elijah Wood in the movie “Everything Is Illuminated.”
Husnu Senlendirici: The Turkish Gypsy clarinet player is considered to be the undisputed heavyweight in his
native country playing snaking eastern melodies with lavish ornamentation and wild improvisations. He will be flying in from Turkey for this festival.
Ivo ! Papasov & Yuri Yunakov: Clarinetist Ivo Papasov, the superstar of Bulgarian wedding music, and Bulgaria's famed saxophonist Yuri Yunakov are touring the US again after their successful reunion concert in 2003.
Leningrad: The popular and controversial Russian band are bringing along their mixbag of Eastern European ska-punk and hard-driving horn funk sounds to the festival.
Zlatne Uste: This 12-piece brass band plays traditional music of the Balkans, primarily representing Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Romany (Gypsy) traditions. They are four-time invited guest at the Dragachevo Brass Festival in Gucha, Serbia.
Hungry March Band: The 20+ strong marching band, Hungry March Band's musical repertoire ranges from New Orleans street bands, European brass traditions, Gypsy/Roma classics, wedding brass bands from India, the global community of NYC and music of the streets.
Nickodemus & The Endangered Species Band Live!: Famed for his Turntables on the Hudson parties, Nickodemus leads his band borrowing global melodies and mixing them with electronic beats, hip-hop and a 5-piece brass band.
Wonderland featuring Husnu Senlendirici & Ilhan Ersahin: A true mix of New York City and Istanbul, Wonderland blends jazz with electronica, oriental music and the gypsy aesthetic.
Zagnut Orkestar: Brooklyn-based 6-piece Zagnut Orkestar plays the music of the Roma (gypsy), Macedonian, Serbian, Albanian, Greek and Bulgarian people.
Romashka: A Russian word for "daisy," Romashka draws its repertoire primarily from Romanian and Russian Gypsies.
Dolomites: Founded by a Japanese Romanian, Dolemites has developed a Japanese and Gypsy repertoire and varieties in, ragtime jazz, carnival, drinking songs, ca! rtoon, hillbilly, hip-hop, and punk muzik.
Ritam Plus: Ritam Plus plays songs from Macedonia and Serbia and is headed by Ismail Lumanovski, a phenomenal clarinet player from Bitola, Macedonia and currently a student at Julliard.
Kinos Hronos: Kinos Hronos is Greek for “common time,” and is an extension of clarinet player Lefteri Bournias’ wedding band Apollo Orchestras, fusing funk and jazz with traditional Greek and Turkish gypsy music.
Maia Group: The house band at Maia, is a four-piece live band drawing from the rich musical tapestry of Turkish gypsy music.
DJ Joro-Boro: Resident DJ of the Bulgarian Bar Mehanata, Joro-Boro spins ethno-mesh songs from resistance ska, Arab turbo dub, balkano gitano brass to gypsy dancehall, ninja reggaeton and sleaze bhangra.
Sir Bato The Yugo's Gypsy Extravaganza: A Serbian Gypsy, Bato plays gypsy tunes from! Easter Europe with his phenomenal band every Thursday at nublu.
Luminescent Orchestrii: Romanian gypsy melodies, punk frenzy, salty tangos, hard rocking klezmer, haunting Balkan harmony and Appalachian fiddle, all eaten and spit out by three violins, guitar, harmonica and guitarron.
Dancer Elena Lentini: Elena brings to dance a quality of mystery as she sculpts fluid designs with her body and delves into the depth of Middle Eastern dance, the timeless form popularly known as belly dance.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

World News


2006 Gypsy Music Festival Takes New York By Storm
Published October 2, 2006

Building on the success of the first New York Gypsy Festival in 2005, the 2-week joyful and passionate Fiesta Romani is returning for its second installment between September 24 and October 8, 2006. Once again, the festival offers a broad perspective on various styles of gypsy music and dance against the backdrop of New York City, which, being the crossroads of many cultures, is essentially gypsy at heart.

The 2005 New York Gypsy Festival featured music from a wide geographical region including Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia and the Balkans with performers such as Gogol Bordello (pictured), Ivo Popasov & Yuri Yunakov, Husnu Senlendirici, Hungry March Band, Zlatne Uste, Leningrad and more than a dozen of local bands. The 2006 Festival continues featuring high caliber local and international talent of Gypsy (Romani) music with artists like Costel Vasilescu (Romania), The New Generation Gipsy Kings (France), Honved Dance Company (Hungary), Husnu Senlendirici (Turkey), KAL (Serbia) and Frank London (NYC). Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz will curate and host an evening featuring music by Kultur Shock (Seattle), Kalpakov Trio (Russia), Acquaragia Drom (Italy) and a DJ set by no other than Hutz himself. Additionally, "Gypsy New Yorkers" and Balkan brass bands like Romashka, Slavic Soul Party, Hungary March Band, Zagnut Orkestar and Russian gypsy dancer Julia Kulakova will also take part in this year's festival.

The event is presented by World Music Institute and Mehanata Meyhane and produced by Serdar Ilhan and Alex Dimitrov, the producers of last year's Gypsy Festival.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

New York'ta 'Jazz Made in Turkey' Festivali
Elif Özmenek
New York
25/09/2004

Jazz müziginin en önemli isimlerinden biri olan Miles Davis, 1960’larda New York’ta zenciler arasinda çok yaygin bir müzik türü olan jazzi anlatirken, “O zamanlar Harlem’de iyi jazz yapmayani döverlerdi, o yüzden New York’ta jazz yapmak çok zor isti” der.

Jazz müziginin, kalelerinden biri sayilan New York, simdi ilk defa bir Türk Jazz Festivaline ev sahipligi yapiyor.

"Jazz Made in Turkey", Türkiye Yapimi Jazz adi altinda Lincoln Center Alice Tully Konser Salonu’nda yapilan festival 26 Eylül'de sona erecek.

New York Baskonsoloslugu Kültür ve Turizm Ataseligi’nin destegiyle yapilan festival, Türkiye'nin ABD'deki tanitim çalismalari açisindan oldukça önemli olarak nitelendiriliyor.

Festivali organize eden Serdar Ilhan, amacinin Türk cazini hem Amerikalilara hem de New York ve çevresinde yasayan Türklere tanitmak oldugunu söyledi.

Ilhan ayrica festivale ilginin yogun oldugunu da belirterek, bu tür etkinliklerin Türkiye'nin tanitiminda büyük rol oynadigini vurguladi.

Konserler, Lincoln Center'in bin 200 kisilik salonunda yapiliyor.

Üç gün sürecek festivale Ilhan Ersahin, Okay Temiz, Erkan Ogur, Aydin Esen, Kudsi Ergüner ve Laço Tayfa grubu gibi önemli jazz sanatçi ve topluluklari katiliyor.

Festivalin onur konuklari ise, yillardir New York’ta yasayan Atlantik Plak Sirketi’nin sahibi Ahmet Ertegün, Grammy Ödüllü müzik yapimcisi Arif Mardin ve Elektronik müzigin öncülerinden Ilhan Mimaroglu.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

MAIA MEYHANE (Türk Mutfagi)
Adres: 98 Ave B (Between 6th & 7th)
New York, NY 10009
Telefon: 212-358-1166
Web: http://www.maiameyhane.com

Yaklasik bir buçuk yil önce açilan Maia Meyhane New York'un ilk "Müzikli Meyhanesi". Serdar Ilhan'in islettigi Maia, Istanbul'un temelini olusturan Türk, Ermeni, Rum ve Balkanlilarin yemek ve Müzik kültürünü yansitiyor. Menü kullanilmiyor. Büyük tepsi içinde 30 cesit meze masaya geliyor ve her meze tek tek garsonlar tarafindan tarif ediliyor.

Menüsu çok dikkatli seçilen Maia'da Türk (Istanbul) yemek kültürü disinda baska hiçbir yemek cesidi bulunmuyor. Örnegin Humus ve Kebab yok. Amerikan basininda “Cultur Club” olarak nitelendirilen Maia'nin müsterileri Amerikalilar disinda Yunan, Türk, Ermeni ve Balkan azinliklardan olusuyor.

Bunun nedeni de Maia'da ki canli müzik programlari. Her Çarsamba günü canli Türk Fasil ve Roman Müzigi yapiliyor ve dansöz gösterisi oluyor. Persembe günleri ünlü New York'lu Yunan müzisyenlerden olusan Yunan grubu sahne aliyor. Türkler ve Yunanlilar beraber halay cekiyorlar.

Cuma geceleri ise saat 23:00’ten sonra her hafta dönüsümlü olarak Balkan Brass Band'ler sahne aliyor ve Makedon, Sirp ve Bulgar müzikleri yapiyorlar. Maia Cumartesi günleri ise dans ederek strees atmak isteyen New York’taki Türk gençlerinin ugrak yerlerinden biri haline geliyor.

Maia da ayrica Türkiye’den ünlü ve sevilen sanatçilarin konserlerine de ev sahipligi yapiyor. Maia da bugüne kadar Yeni Türkü, Ilhan Sesen, Zafer Peker ve Ege birer konser verdi ve Sibel Gökçe'de bir dans gösterisi gerçeklestirdi.

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Cazcilarimiz New York'ta / RADIKAL

Okay Temiz ve Grubu Magnetic Band, her tür perküsyon düskününü ve Türkiye hasretiyle yanip tutusan vatandaslarini Lincoln Center'da biraraya getirdi.
'Jazz Made in Turkey' konserleriyle New York'ta yer yerinden oynamadi, ama bilenler ve bilmek isteyenler ustalardan feyz almak üzere Lincoln Center'daydi

27/09/2004 NILAY ÖRNEK

NEW YORK - "Olimpiyatlarin oldugu günlerdi... Televizyonun yörüngesinde dikkatsizce gezinirken bir müzik duyuyorum, o ut, o kanun, o klarnet, o oynak nagmeler... Bir Türk müzisyeninin televizyonda oldugunu ya da Türkiye ile ilgili bir haber yapildigini düsünüyorum. Bir bakiyorum ki televizyonda Yunanistan sokaklarindan olimpiyat haberleri veriliyor! E, insan bir garip oluyor... Aldim Amerikali arkadaslarimi geldim. Erkan Ogur, Kudsi Erguner, Ilhan Ersahin, Laço Tayfa, Aydin Esen, Okay Temiz... Daha ne olsun, dinlesinler bir Laço Tayfa da görsünler Türk müzigini.."

Türkler özlem giderdi
Bu sözler, Okay Temiz ve grubu Magnetic Band'in müzigiyle yerinde duramayan, 13 yillik Amerikali Serap Kiraç'a ait.
Onun sözleri New York'ta üç gün süren 'Jazz Made In Turkey'in seyirci kitlesini tanimlamaya yetiyor... Konseri bir tanitim ya da özlem giderme amaci olarak görmüs Türkler, Türk dansina ve müzigine hayran yabancilar, arkadas itelemesiyle gelip keyiflenenler, degisik tinilara merakli ya da konser listesindeki isimlerin adlarini çoktan duymus müzisyenler... Bir de
Okay Temiz hayrani davul meraklilariyla 'çok seksi' diye göbek dansi dersleri alanlar...
Ünlü Lincoln Center'da Serdar Ilhan'in prodüktörlügünü üstlendigi ve Turizm Bakanligi'nin da destekledigi üç günlük 'Jazz Made in Turkey' konserleri cuma günü Aydin Esen ve Okay Temiz&Magnetic Band konserleriyle basladi. Iki ay kadar önce de Istanbul'a gelerek Babylon'da bir konser veren Greg Osby ile klarnet sanatçisi Lefteris Bournias de özel konuktu.
Ilk gece Disisleri Bakani Abdullah Gül ve Ahmet Ertegun'un sunumuyla açildi. Aydin Esen ve Greg Osyby ile caz havasina giren seyirciler, perküsyonun baba ismi Okay Temiz'le daha 'kivrak' bir havaya büründü. Okay Temiz ve Magnetic Band gayet ilgi çekiciydi. Ama yine de salonun üçte biri bostu.
Arif Mardin'in sunumuyla baslayan ikinci gün ise Ilhan Ersahin'in New York müzik ortamlarindaki karizmasi nedeniyle daha bir 'yabanci konuk' agirlikliydi... Ilhan Ersahin ve yabanci müzisyenlerden olusan Wonderland, gerçek cazseverlerin ruhunu oksadi ve ardindan sahneyi, Hüsnü Senlendirici önderligindeki Laço Tayfa'ya birakti.
'Jazz Made In Turkey'e damgasini vuran konser neyzen Kudsi Ergüner ve gitar ustadi Erkan Ogur'lu final gecesi oldu.
Erkan Ogur büyüledi
En çok biletin satildigi, baska sehirlerden gelenlerin bile oldugu gecenin Ergüner'li bölümünde en güzelinden 'Islam blues' vardi... Grammy ödüllü saksofoncu Joe Lovano ve grubu Telvin ile sahneye çikan Erkan
Ogur'un hissettirdiklerini anlatmaksa zor... Belki konser çikisi bir gencin su sözleri durumu anlatabilir: "Bir tekke kursa, ben de müridi olsam.. Tüm hayatimi bir notayi dogru çaldigimi söylemesi için harcasam. Sonra bana bu hirsin anlamsizligini ögretse, bundan da vazgeçsem."

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Gül, festival açti

SEMA EMIROGLU New York
New York'ta bulunan Disisleri Bakani Abdullah Gül ve esi, önceki aksam Lincoln Center'da düzenlenen Türk Caz Festivali'nin açilisina katildi. Kültür Bakanligi'nin destekledigi festivalin yapim ve yönetmenligini Serdar Ilhan yapti. Türk isadami Ahmet Ertegün'ün sundugu festival 3 gün sürecek.

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Jazz Made In Turkey Festival / Giant Steps
http://www.jazzmadeinturkey.com

biography
New York Welcomes First Ever Turkish Jazz Festival

For the first time on American soil, the Ministry of Turkish Culture and Tourism will present a program saluting the universal language of jazz at Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall, Sept. 24 - 26. The Jazz Made in Turkey Festival, hosted by Ahmet Ertegün, Arif Mardin and Ilhan Mimaroglu, who will share their unparalleled knowledge of music with audiences, and produced by Serdar Ilhan, will feature Turkish jazz artists and international guest stars performing a series of six concerts over the three-day period.

Performances during this precedent-setting event will include those by Okay Temiz, celebrated for his work on a wide array of percussion instruments that he has either collected or hand-crafted over the years, who skillfully transforms simple rhythms into complex compositions, as well as by Kudsi Erguner, whose work on the Ney-flute is acclaimed throughout Europe and the U.S.

Pianist Aydin Esen will perform an exciting selection from his repertoire of contemporary arrangements. Known for his elaborate orchestrations and electronic compositions, Esen creates music with the use of his advanced sound synthesis techniques.

Also making an appearance will be Turkish guitar legend Erkan Ogur. Renowned for his arrangements on the fretless guitar and E-bow (a magnetic bowing device), Ogur will demonstrate his use of untempered scales reminiscent of his beloved Eastern Turkey folk melodies.

As a saxophonist and composer/songwriter, Ilhan Ersahin has grown into one of the most creative and adventurous artists of the contemporary jazz and electronic scene in the last ten years. He will join his contemporaries with movements influenced by American jazz, with the essence of reggae, hip-hop, electronic, pop and Middle Eastern folk music.

Joining the solo artists during the Jazz Made in Turkey Festival will be Turkish jazz ensemble Laco Tayfa. The 10-member, Gypsy-inspired funk band pairs classic Turkish instruments, the zurna and davul, with clarinet, bass and snare drum, to interpret both modern arrangements and traditional Turkish folk songs.

Helping celebrate Turkey’s rich musical heritage and the country’s contributions to the international jazz landscape, will be a number of international guest artists, including Grammy-winner Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone and Eddie Henderson with his the take-no-prisoners trumpeteer style.

Also, on alto saxophone, will be Greg Osby, a progressive force in jazz for nearly 20 years, who has sketched numerous musical essays set contemporary scores using the improvisational nature of jazz as the connecting thread. And Lefteris Bournias will lend his distinctive way with the clarinet to the proceedings.

For the complete schedule of events and ticket prices for the Jazz Made in Turkey Festival, visit www.jazzmadeinturkey.com or call (212) 687- 2194 ext. 15 or 16. Tickets for the Jazz Made in Turkey Festival can be purchased by calling (212) 875-5050 or (212) 721-6500. They are also available via www.tulumba.com and at Maia Meyhane, the Turkish restaurant at 98 Avenue B in New York City.

Turkey, the site of two wonders of the ancient world, is a present-day marvel - the cradle of civilization, the very center of world history, and a modern Westward-looking republic. It is a country of fascinating contrasts, where antiquity is juxtaposed with the contemporary, the familiar with the exotic; where sun-swept beaches beckon less than an hour away from snow-capped mountains, and everywhere visitors are treated to the extraordinary warmth of the Turkish people.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Kelebek
New York'ta ilk Çingene Festivali

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Can KAMILOGLU/DHA

ABD'nin New York kentinde 29 Ekim-6 Kasim tarihleri arasinda ilk Çingene Festivali düzenlenecek.

Türk organizatör Serdar Ilhan tarafindan düzenlenecek olan ilk Çingene Festivali'ne birçok ülkeden sanatçi katilacak. Son bir yilda Çingene müziginin ABD basininda olumlu elestiriler almasindan yola çikarak festival için kollari sivadigini belirten Serdar Ilhan, ‘Avrupa'da birçok Çingene grubu turneler düzenliyor. Çingene müziginin hizla yükselen bir trendi var. Amerikali gençler bile Çingene müzigi ile ilgileniyor' dedi.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................

GLOBAL RHTYHM / 2006
Building on the success of the first New York Gypsy Festival in 2005, the 2-week joyful and passionate Fiesta Romani is returning for its second installment between September 24 and October 8, 2006. Once again, the festival offers a broad perspective on various styles of gypsy music and dance against the backdrop of New York City, which, being the crossroads of many cultures, is essentially gypsy at heart.

The 2005 New York Gypsy Festival featured music from a wide geographical region including Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia and the Balkans with performers such as Gogol Bordello (pictured), Ivo Popasov & Yuri Yunakov, Husnu Senlendirici, Hungry March Band, Zlatne Uste, Leningrad and more than a dozen of local bands. The 2006 Festival continues featuring high caliber local and international talent of Gypsy (Romani) music with artists like Costel Vasilescu (Romania), The New Generation Gipsy Kings (France), Honved Dance Company (Hungary), Husnu Senlendirici (Turkey), KAL (Serbia) and Frank London (NYC). Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz will curate and host an evening featuring music by Kultur Shock (Seattle), Kalpakov Trio (Russia), Acquaragia Drom (Italy) and a DJ set by no other than Hutz himself. Additionally, "Gypsy New Yorkers" and Balkan brass bands like Romashka, Slavic Soul Party, Hungary March Band, Zagnut Orkestar and Russian gypsy dancer Julia Kulakova will also take part in this year's festival.

The event is presented by World Music Institute and Mehanata Meyhane and produced by Serdar Ilhan and Alex Dimitrov, the producers of last year's Gypsy Festival.

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

New York Gypsy Festival / Global Rhytim
October 29, 2005 - November 6, 2005
New York, New York
Genre: European
Style: Gypsy

The New York Gypsy Festival aims to offer a broad perspective on various
cultures and musical genres in a city that's considered at the crossroads of many cultures. Taking place October 29 through November 6, 2005 at The Roxy, Symphony Space and various downtown clubs in NYC, the festival will highlight local and international talent of gypsy (Romani) music.

Covering a wide geographical region including Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia and the Balkans, the rich diversity of this music is on full display at this festival. The highlight is the show at The Roxy on November 6th featuring NYC's very own, Gogol Bordello, a gypsy punk rock band with a wild energy. Also on the bill that night is Husnu Senlendirici (founder of the gypsy-funk band Laco Tayfa) who will fly in from Turkey for an exclusive jam session of The Clarinet All-stars featuring Senlendirici, Lefteri Bournias (Greece) and Ismail Lumanovski (Macedonia). Last but not least, the Hungry March Band, a 20+ piece marching band, the 12-piece powerhouse brass band Zlatne Uste, DJs and gypsy dancers will round off an 8-hour marathon.

The festival also includes appearances by Bulgarian masters Ivo Popasov & Yuri Yunakov and Russian ska band Leningrad (produced by World Music Institute and Metpo.com, respectively). The festival also aims to highlight the aspect of Romani dancing with dance performances by ethnic dancers.

The New York Gypsy Festival is produced by two seasoned event production & nightlife patrons: Serdar Ilhan, who put together the hugely successful Jazz Made In Turkey Festival at Lincoln Center in 2004 and co-owns Maia Meyhane and Alex Dimitrov, who built an underground phenomena with Mehanata, The Bulgarian Bar.

Says Ilhan, "New York's cultural diversity makes sense to put together this
festival here. We are trying to open the door to world music and more specifically gypsy (Roma) music in the US by an accessible festival."

The programming for the festival was done very carefully in order to allow the mix of many genre-bending acts from punk-rock to jazz, hip-hop, global beats, funk and cabaret music with an underlying gypsy aesthetic.

The festival will continue throughout the week at downtown venues Maia Meyhane, Mehanata and Nublu with local bands and DJs presenting an eclectic mix of world, gypsy and dance music in a cozy atmosphere. Check the schedule and artists area of this website to find out more about the performances and bands involved.

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Gypsy Music in NY / Turkish Times
By Cengiz Yakut - A Turk and a Bulgarian produced the first Gypsy Music Festival in New York ever. Taking place October 29 through November 6, 2005 at The Roxy, Symphony Space and various downtown clubs in NYC, the festival will highlight local and international talent of gypsy (Romani) music.
“The New York Gypsy Festival aims to offer a broad perspective on various cultures and musical genres in a city that’s considered at the crossroads of many cultures.” says Serdar Ilhan, the Turkish producer. The festival continues throughout the week at downtown venues Maia Meyhane, Mehanata, Nublu and The Roxy with local bands and DJs presenting an eclectic mix of world, gypsy and dance music in a cozy atmosphere. Covering a wide geographical region including Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia and the Balkans, the rich diversity of this music is on full display at this festival. The highlight is the show at The Roxy on November 6th featuring NYC’s very own, Gogol Bordello, a gypsy punk rock band with a wild energy. Also on the bill that night is Husnu Senlendirici (founder of the gypsy-funk band Laco Tayfa) who will from Turkey for an exclusive jam session of The Clarinet All-stars featuring Senlendirici, Lefteri Bournias (Greece) and Ismail Lumanovski (Macedonia). Last but not least, the Hungry March Band, a 20+ piece marching band, the 12-piece powerhouse brass band Zlatne Uste, DJs and gypsy dancers will round off an 8-hour marathon. The programming for the festival was done very carefully in order to allow the mix of many genre-bending acts from punk-rock to jazz, hip-hop, global beats, funk and cabaret music with an underlying gypsy aesthetic. The festival also includes appearances by Bulgarian masters Ivo Popasov & Yuri Yunakov and Russian ska - punk band Leningrad (produced by World Music Institute and Metpo.com, respectively). The festival also aims to highlight the aspect of Romani dancing with dance performances by ethnic dancers.The New York Gypsy Festival is produced by two seasoned event production & nightlife patrons: Serdar Ilhan, who put together the hugely successful Jazz Made in Turkey Festival at Lincoln Center in 2004 and co-owns and Alex Dimitrov, who built an underground phenomena with Mehanata, The Bulgarian Bar. Ilhan says, “New York’s cultural diversity makes sense to put together this festival here. We are trying to open the door to world music and more specifically gypsy (Roma) music in the US by an accessible festival.”

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Herkes biraz Roman'dir / Aksam Gazetesi
Sevinci ve aciyi uçlarda yasayan Romanlar coskulu müzikleri ve danslariyla New York'u fethetmeye hazirlaniyor. Starlarin sahne alacagi 'New York Gypsy Festival' Bugün baslayip 8 Ekim'e kadar sürecek

Bbu yil düzenlenen Rock'n Coke'ta çalan Gogol Bordello grubundan duydum ilkin Mehanata Meyhane'yi. New York'ta yasayan ve Roman kültürüne asik insanlari bir araya getiren bir Türk-Bulgar meyhanesiydi; ayni zamanda Gogol Bordello'yu Hüsnü Senlendirici ve Gypsy Kings'le bulusturan New York Roman Festivali'nin ana mekanlarindandi. Romanlarin New York'u istila etmeye hazirlandiklarini ve NY Belediye Meclisi'nin kapatmaya ugrastigi Mehanata'yi mekan seçtiklerini ögrenince konuyu ele almak farz oldu. Mehanata'nin ortaklarindan Serdar Ilhan'la söylesi yapmaya böyle karar verdim...

Çingene müzigi denince dünyanin hangi ülkelerinin müziklerini anlamamiz gerekiyor?

Aslinda Hindistan'dan Ispanya'ya kadar uzanan çok genis bir bölgenin müzigini. Çingeneler, Misir, Türkiye, Rusya ve Dogu-Bati Avrupa'ya da yerlesmis sonradan. Ortak özellikleri hep ezilmeleri. Hitler zamaninda Yahudilerle beraber Romanlar da katledilmis, o yüzden 'Bizi kimse sevmez ama müzigimizi herkes sever' derler.

'Kalben Roman olmak' ne demek?

Bana Roman olup olmadigimi sorduklarinda, onlarin anarsist dogalarini, özgür ruhlarini ve müzige olan tutkularini düsünerek 'Herkes biraz Roman'dir' diyorum. Kalben Roman olmak bu olsa gerek.

AMERIKALILARIN SEVDIGI MÜZIK

New York, her an her seye rastlanabilen bir sehir, Istanbul gibi. Çingene müzigi nasil algilaniyor?

Romenler, Macarlar, Bulgarlar, Ruslar, Polonyalilar hatta en çok Amerikalilar seviyor bu müzigi. Tabii Joro Boro gibi canli brass band'lerin ve Gogol Bordello'nun da Çingene müziginin New York'ta taninmasina katkisi büyük.

Gogol Bordello'ya 'New York Romanlari' denebilir mi?

Roman müzigini punkla birlestiren Gogol Bordello'da kimse Roman degil; sizin dediginiz gibi 'kalpten Roman'lar. Yuri Rus, Eugene Hütz Ukraynali, Aaron Israilli, davulculariysa Amerikali.

NY Gypsy Festival projesi nasil dogdu?

Üç yil öncesine kadar St. Marx Cafe ve Maia Meyhane isimli iki mekan isletiyordum. Orada her cuma sahneye Balkan Çingene gruplari çiktigi için Çingene müziginden hoslanan bir seyirci kitlesi olusmustu zaten. Zamanla bu gecelerin kapsamini genisletip bir festival haline getirme fikri olustu kafamizda. Maia'nin DJ'i PePe'yle (Mehmet Dede) birlikte olusturduk programi. Sonra ögrendik ki, Mehanata Bulgarian Bar diye bir mekan da ayni seyi tasarliyormus.

Orasi da Türklerin miydi?

Hayir, Bulgar bariydi. Sahibi Alex'le ortak arkadaslar araciligiyla birbirimiz hakkinda bir sürü sey duymus ama henüz tanismamistik. Bulustugumuzda festivali birlikte yapmaya karar verdik.

Mehanata Meyhane kimin?

Orasi, Mehanata Bulgarian Bar ve Maia Meyhane'nin birlesmesinden dogdu. Üzücü bir hikaye aslinda; önce Mehanata Bar kapatildi, çünkü binasi otel olacakti, ardindan Maia Meyhane satildi. Alex'le ortak bir mekan açmaya karar verdik. Çok güzel bir yer oldu.

BELEDIYE MECLISI IKIYE BÖLÜNDÜ

Ama birtakim sorunlar yasaniyormus

Belediye Meclisi, o bölgede yeterince bar oldugu iddiasiyla bizi engellemeye çalisiyor. Biz de bir imza kampanyasi baslattik, ayrica çesitli ülkelerin konsolosluklari, Birlesmis Milletler ve World Music Institute (Dünya Müzik Enstitüsü) gibi kurumlarin destegini aldik. Tarihte ilk kez New York Belediye Meclisi ikiye bölündü, çünkü üyelerden bir kismi bizi destekliyordu. Simdi bekliyoruz. Bu arada Goran Bregoviç ve Manu Chao konserlerini iptal ettik. Festival geceleri bu yil baska yerlerde olacak.

Umutlu musunuz, Mehanata yeniden açilacak mi?

Zaten kapatilmadi ama sorunlarin ardindan bir türlü açilamadi da. Simdi film seti olarak kullaniliyor. Iki ay içinde baslayacagimizi umuyorum.

Mehanata Meyhane

Türk-Bulgar meyhanesi Mehanata'nin ortaklarindan ve NY Gypsy Festival'in yaraticilarindan olan Serdar Ilhan, Menhata Meyhane'nin üst katinda canli müzik icra edildigini, alt katindaysa DJ'lerin çaldigini, ama hep Çingene müzigi yapildigini anlatiyor. Mekanda sunulan yemekler Türk mutfagindan. DJ Joro Boro ile DJ PePe hafta sonlari, Gogol Bordello'nun solisti Eugene Hütz ise, turnede olmadigi zamanlar, persembe günleri çalacak.

Hüsnü Senlendirici: Romanlar uçlarda yasarlar

New York Gypsy Festival'a bu yil da davetlisiniz. Sizin için önemi ne?

Dünyanin en asimile olmus Romanlari Türkiye'dekiler. Buradaki herhangi bir Roman'a 'Sen nesin?' diye sorulsa 'Türküm' der. Ben de öyle derim. Halbuki insanin nereden geldigini unutmamasi gerekir. Farkli ülkelerden Romanlari tanimayi ben çok seviyorum. Nasil çaldiklarini, hangi yemekleri yediklerini, neler giydiklerini inceliyorum ve böylece köklerimle yüzlestigimi hissediyorum.

Roman kültürünün cazibesi nereden geliyor?

Romanlari sihirli yapan sey müzik, dans ya da kiyafetler degil. Sirri ne biliyor musunuz, duygular baska insanlarda oldugundan daha uçlardadir bizde. Kederi ve hüznü en koyusuyla, sevinci ise en coskulu biçimiyle yasariz. Herkesin biz Romanlari cazibeli bulmasindaki sir, sonuna kadar gidebilmemiz.

Sizin de katilacaginiz 'Clarinet All Stars' gecesini anlatir misiniz?

Farkli ülkelerde yasayan bir sürü klarnetçi var, Balkanlar'dan ya da Avrupa'dan geliyorlar Ruhlari baska, karakterleri baska, hayatlari baska Kimi okuma yazma bilmiyor, kimi üniversite okumus. Kimi zengin, kiminin bes parasi yok. Hiçbirinin çizgisi birbirini tutmuyor ama is müzige, eglenmeye ve eglendirmeye gelince aynilar. New York'un önemli mekanlarindan Joe's Pub'da da çalacagim bir gece. ABD'de basçi, davulcu, gitarist ve piyanist arkadaslarim var, biri konservatuvarda okuyor, digeri zaten ünlü; Berklee'de klasik müzik okumasina ragmen hayatini Roman müzigi üzerine kurmus biri daha var. Bulusup canimizin istedigi seyleri çaliyoruz...

Gülenay Börekçi

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The new bohemians
At a recent festival, the next generation of Gypsy musicians proves the hard-to-pin-down sound has found new life.
By Robert Christgau

Oct. 29, 2006 | Purity is always a misleading ideal. With the Gypsies, or Roma, an outcast people who've survived by syncretic adaptation since they left India a millennium ago, it's an impossible chimera. Charles Keil, one of many to search hard before concluding that "the real Gypsy music" is a myth, quotes a Kosovo musician: "We do not care whether it is Turkish, Serbian or Albanian. We just play it livelier." Such commonalities as "natural" singing, idiomatic phrasing, behind-the-beat attack, and minor chords don't distinguish it drastically from all the other folkish musics that stick it to Western classical strictures. And the counterclaim that Gypsies don't play their music for gadje, non-Gypsies, merely renders the "real" stuff a tree falling in the forest for gadje who follow various Gypsy musics whether they're pure or not.

Until recently the gadje's choices boiled down to melodramatic, multicultural flamenco, the truncated jazz tradition of Django Reinhardt and then, for too long oh Lord, the mawkish "rumba flamenca" of France's answer to Air Supply, the Gipsy Kings. The only visible export from Eastern Europe, where most Roma live, was gentrified folk Hungarian restaurant music. But post-Soviet Union, a few Western European record labels invaded Eastern Europe and changed this. In 1990 Stephane Karo and Michael Winter of Belgium's Crammed Discs trekked to the Romanian backwater of Clejani to assemble the violin-and-accordion-based Taraf de Haïdouks (Turkish for "band," French for "of," Roma for "outlaws"). In 1996, German producer and future Asphalt Tango head Henry Ernst assembled the Fanfare Ciocarlia brass band in another Romanian village, and Crammed responded by signing Macedonia's Kocani Orkestar (and then wresting the name from trumpeter Naat Veliov). Bulgarian clarinet master Ivo Papasov, Macedonian sax king Ferus Mustafov, and Boban Markovic's Serbian brass band are other major Gypsy-Balkan noisemakers.

Noise is key here. In the Taraf de Haïdouks model, vocals are subsumed in breakneck momentum, strange-tempered melody and sounds that seem extreme from the instruments you recognize and weird from the ones you don't -- especially the cymbalom, a miraculous hammered dulcimer whose rippling sound morphs toward balafon low and mandolin high (listen to a sampler of Gypsy music here). Gypsy brass is far ruder, aggregating modern and traditional trumpets and trubas and trombones and whatever into blowing that is messily melodic at one end and anarchically propulsive at the other -- dancing-on-the-tables music for that special moment when you're finding it hard enough not to collapse to the floor. Horns drive squalling dissonances and frantic drum and tuba rhythms whose funk makes hip-hop's seem tame, because at least you've gotten used to hip-hop's Africanness.

Until Nonesuch dropped the first U.S. Haïdouks album in 1999, I'd always found Gypsy music floridly hyperromantic; until I heard Boban Markovic's swozzled, cacophonous, lyrical, sometimes virtuosic "Boban I Marko" five years later, my distaste for massed brass extended all the way from Stan Kenton to Ray Barretto. But it was really Ukrainian-born, NYC-based Eugene Hutz and Gogol Bordello, a Gypsy-gadje meld that turned into the most exciting new alt-rock band in the world once Hutz learned to write songs, who drew me to this year's New York Gypsy Festival -- Gogol Bordello climaxed last year's inaugural edition, and Hutz hosted 2006's finale. As it turned out, the Gypsy Festival, stretched this year by Turkish-born promoter-restaurateur Serdar Ilhan from Sept. 25 to Oct. 8, wasn't strong on the stuff I was there for, only as it turned out, that didn't matter.

As Ilhan emphasized by showcasing Russia and Italy, Seattle and Brooklyn (not to mention the "Gipsy Kings 'New Generation'" at an ill-attended big-ticket gig), Gypsy music comes from all over. Music has been as much a Roma trade as metal smithing and horse dealing, and while gadje exaggerate Roma vagabondage, musicians do need to be mobile. But though I hated a few acts and heard more than enough of several others, Gypsy music is at such a fascinating point that I don't regret a groan or wince. I ended up more convinced than ever that, varied though Gypsy music is, its Balkan variants represent a special case. That's because, as Bosnia and Kosovo taught us, Muslims aren't immigrants in Eastern Europe. Gypsies' religious beliefs vary. But because the Roma are syncretists, Balkan Gypsy music sounds Islamo-Christian in a way even flamenco, which began in Moorish Spain, does not. For gadje it's mainly some new kind of party. But that party is inextricable from insane 13/8 meters and a tune stock that owes much to centuries of Ottoman domination.

After an insufferable full-length warm-up by Cafe Antarsia, an American theater-music troupe given to lyrics like "I'm just a wayward bramble/ My love is my guitar," the Serbian septet Kal opened the festival at Joe's Pub in the Public Theater on Sept. 25. Kal share their violin-accordion-guitar instrumentation with Gogol Bordello and showed as little interest in authenticity -- at one point their leader, Dragan Ristic, a Roma schoolteacher's son turned theatrical impresario turned bandleader, announced "a sad song" just before they launched into a double-time trifle called "Frutti Tutti." But they were much more mild, playful, and culturally representative about it, and it was fine. The pink-skinned, good-humored Ristic conveyed more savoir-faire with a cocked eyebrow than Cafe Antarsia could stuff into an entire songpoem. Though he wasn't an ace guitarist, he had a great time at it, notably with some Muddy Waters slide powered out not as a reference but as a common resource, just like the Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan speed syllabics. Islamo-Christian, no doubt. In clear English, he told us that he dealt in Romasomes, which were something like chromosomes: "Small social things all around us."

Kal were livelier than their Asphalt Tango album and embodied the contradictions of authenticity. Ristic is an educated Roma activist who formed Kal not just because he loves music, although it's a good thing he does, but also because he has a politico-cultural program. He comes to that program more naturally than Cafe Antarsia because he's Balkan and Roma himself, but more self-consciously than Moscow's theater-rooted Kolpakov Trio, old-fashioned preservationists featured at the finale who have long been staples of the gadje folk circuit -- and much more self-consciously than Taraf de Haïdouks, still unheralded in their homeland, or Fanfare Ciocarlia, also fabricated by a gadje record man. I found little correlation between authenticity and quality at this chaotic bazaar.

Purer than Kal, but no more or less gripping, were Taraf Costel Vasilescu at NYU's Skirball Center Sept. 30, led by the Romanian trumpeter who graces superb 30- and 40-year-old Asphalt Tango reissues by Ion Petre Stoican and Romica Puceanu. Standing quietly aside, Vasilescu proved the least demonstrative player in a septet that had amassed some breathtaking avoirdupois in its old age: trumpet, clarinet, guitar and vocals, accordion and vocals, violin, swinging double bass, and the only cymbalom to surface in two weeks. But one trumpet doesn't equal Gypsy brass. Instead, the taraf's sound was defined by bassist Marin Marinescu as Gypsy swing, a strikingly original example of a consciously post-Django groove-cum-subgenre that often seems the sole province of tribute bands.

Three true Gypsy brass bands with nary a Gypsy among them did midweek shows at M1-5, a roomy red Tribeca bar with a tiny 12-by-16 stage: Hungry March Band, Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars, and Zlatne Uste. Metaphorically, all three hail from Brooklyn -- lower-case bohemian Brooklyn, not immigrant Brooklyn. Opening for Gogol Bordello at last year's festival, Hungry March deployed approximately 23 brass and drum players plus seven dancers to enact a dazzling not-for-profit spectacle (how much cab fare do you think each musician takes home?) in which frenetic cheerleading spurs on more or less unison blasts that part to admit jazzish solos. Here, 18 or so plus two dancers still couldn't quite squeeze onto the stage, and though the young Korean Archie Shepp fan in the crocheted cap wailed impressively both times, the downsizing undercut Hungry March's attempt to combine the orgiastic abandon of Gypsy brass with individualism American-style. Zlatne Uste, who since 1983 have played "folk music from the brass music traditions of the Balkans" on old-fashioned rotary-valve flugelhorns they call by the Slavic term "trubas," harbor far homier ambitions. Playing to a core of fans who circle-danced without surcease, they were sweet as people and musicians, and no doubt their tunes sink in -- "Caje Sukarije" was a catchy closer that sounds fine on their "In the Center of the Village." But up against faster, trickier, harsher, crazier Fanfare, Kocani and Markovic CDs, that album seems anodyne, and the performance barely hit second gear.

Moonlighting Klezmatics trumpeter Frank London got his own dance circle, which included a gray-haired woman who appeared to be the mother of one of his musicians. London is a free thinker who in 2002 concocted a theory of brass bands involving Babel and Freemasonry that he renounces on 2005's highly recommended "Carnival Conspiracy," the wildest, wooziest, and most eclectic of the many attempts by Jewish musicians to reclaim their national as well as cultural roots while giving it up to their fellow outcasts. (Balkan Beat Box, runners-up to Gogol Bordello in the Gypsy rock sweepstakes, is led by two Israeli expats.) The All-Stars shift around a lot; a show last January made room for a Brazilian percussion club and a Hasidic women's chorus. This version featured two trumpets, two clarinets, a saxophone, a trombone, a young trap drummer who arrived on time, an older bass drummer who was late, and the lithe tuba of Ron Caswell, who cannily avoided the New Orleans usages favored by Hungry March Band. The 90-minute set was ramshackle -- London loves loose. But the 20-minute opener relaunched the theme whenever it wandered, the Balkan-not-klezmer number roared back after a jazzy sax solo, and Caswell kept things non-swangin'.

London, who studied with jazz luminary Jaki Byard, favors the politically incorrect term "Oriental" to designate the groove he's after -- a groove where threes and twos are juxtaposed, rather than superimposed as in African-inflected musics. And though I reserve the right to renounce the theory next week, my immersion convinced me that the Balkan-Gypsy synthesis is most powerful at its least African -- which also means its least American. Not to deny that Vasilescu's bassist is the making of that taraf. Nor that borrowings from all the crucial African-American horn players are inevitable. Nor that many experts disagree, notably Garth Cartwright, who studs a dashing, fact-packed report on Balkan Gypsy music called "Princes Amongst Men" with epigraphs from African- American musicians and speculates that "Afro-Roma communities in Louisiana" helped create New Orleans jazz. Which is conceivable. But which doesn't mean Caswell belonged on the downbeat he stayed off.

Proof came with the confusing and exciting Oct. 3 clarinet summit at Joe's Pub. I envisioned some surrogate Gypsy brass, a blowing session pitting Bulgarian-born, Bronx-based Yuri Yunakov's rough-hewn tenor sax against two guys I'd never heard of, 30-year-old Turk Husnu Senlendirici and 22-year-old Macedonian Ismail Lumanovski, I instead spent two and a half hours listening to four separate sets featuring bands whose shifting personnel I never got straight; although three of them featured a 16-year-old Macedonian synth whiz named Muhammad, an Arab-looking kid in a long gelled crew cut whose Casio could do the fake flutes of Algerian rai and whose Korg was a piano. Lumanovski and Senlendirici proved spectacular players who had listened hard to Coltrane and Dolphy -- especially Lumanovski, his sound very soprano sax, lots of burr and flutter and overtone where Senlendirici was cleaner and more flutelike. Sometimes the format got samey, structured like, say, the state-and-blow jazz sets of Argentinian Coltrane devotee Gato Barbieri. But the clarinetists had more chops than Barbieri, and Yunakov, who didn't, simply took the music R&B. A gruff, friendly bear with an ex-boxer's gut, he has a robust, muscular sound and packs a lot of power when he improvises. Later, he used saxophone technology to outloud Lumanovski, and later than that he described Senlendirici as "the greatest clarinet player in the world."

The format was a jazz format, but the Gypsy brass format is too, and Gypsy brass is Oriental. So was this. Borrowings from crucial African-American horn players are healthy, but the melodic incline of the material was Eastern European, which by then I could I.D. sometimes as specifically Roma but which also went all the way "Middle Eastern," tunes that evoked muezzins and bellydancers. I should also mention Hasan Isik on kanun, a zither from Turkey that looked like a small cymbalom. And then there were the rhythms. Three different trap drummers sat in, the last and most accomplished an American named Jordan Pearlman who I found too jazzy. My favorite was Yunakov's guy, a squat, middle-aged, dark- skinned powerhouse with two small extra drums toward the top of his kit. ("I don't know the name, Yuri brought him last minute," e- mailed promoter Ilhan, who thinks he's Macedonian.) He didn't swing at all, just banged out the meters with relish and panache, especially when Yunakov announced, "Now I need to play 9/8 -- it's a Gypsy style, a Balkan style." It was he who took over for the final blow-out, when Yunakov honked and Senlenderici got dirty and Lumanovski smiled and held his boyish own amid melodies that evoked jazz not a whit. Just some new kind of party.

Great music rarely changes the world. It just exemplifies what a good world might be like. None of the acts at Hutz's farewell party Sunday grooved me much. But in addition to being a great bandleader, Hutz is a great DJ, and between sets suddenly my little knot of jawing gadje noticed what he was playing. Was that bhangra, all the way from the ancestral Punjab? Followed by a female village folk dance? Followed by a teched-up Django remix? And was that a ska over that baritone truba line? Small social things all around us, and they all sounded wonderful. What a wonderful world it could be.

-- By Robert Christgau

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NEW YORK SALUTES THE FIRST GYPSY FEST OF ITS KIND

OVER A DOZEN OF BANDS, DJS AND DANCERS CONFIRMED FOR AN 8-DAY FESTIVAL
IN NYC BETWEEN OCT 29

NOV 6, 2005

Aiming to offer a broad perspective on various cultures and musical genres in a city that’s considered at the
crossroads of many cultures, the New York Gypsy Festival is presenting groups from the burgeoning gypsy
music scene collectively for the first time. Taking place October 29 through November 6, 2005 at The Roxy,
Symphony Space and various downtown clubs in NYC, the festival will highlight local and international talent of
gypsy (Romani) music.

Covering a wide geographical region including Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia and the Balkans, the rich diversity of
this music is on full display at this festival. The highlight is the show on November 6th at The Roxy featuring
NYC’s very! own, Gogol Bordello, a gypsy punk rock band with a wild energy. Also on the bill that night is Husnu
Senlendirici (founder of the gypsy-funk band Laco Tayfa) who will fly in from Turkey for an exclusive jam
session of The Clarinet All-stars featuring Senlendirici, Lefteri Bournias (Greece) and Ismail Lumanovski
(Macedonia). Additionally, The Hungry March Band, a 20+ piece marching band, the 12-piece powerhouse
brass band Zlatne Uste, DJs and gypsy dancers will round off an 8-hour marathon.

The festival also includes appearances by Bulgarian masters Ivo Popasov & Yuri Yunakov and Russian ska band
Leningrad (produced by World Music Institute and Metpo.com, respectively). Dancing is an important aspect of
the Romani folklore and the festival aims to highlight that aspect with dance performances by ethnic dancers.

The New York Gypsy Festival is produced by two seasoned event production & nightlife patrons: Serdar Ilhan,
who put toget! her the hugely successful Jazz Made In Turkey Festival at Lincoln Center in 2004 and co-owns
Maia Meyhane and Alex Dimitrov, who built an underground phenomena with Mehanata, The Bulgarian Bar.

Says Ilhan, “New York’s cultural diversity makes sense to put together this festival here. We are trying to open
the door to world music and more specifically gypsy (Roma) music in the US by an accessible festival.”

The programming for the festival was done very carefully in order to allow the mix of many genre-bending acts
from punk-rock to jazz, hip-hop, global beats, funk and cabaret music with an underlying gypsy aesthetic.

The festival will continue throughout the week at downtown venues Maia Meyhane, Mehanata and nublu with
local bands and DJs presenting an eclectic mix of world, gypsy and dance music in a cozy atmosphere.

www.nygypsyfest.com

For more information, request a photo or music, please contact:
Tel. 917-498-8652
E-mail: contact@nygypsyfest.com


-----------------------------------------------
Violeta Krasnic
Program Associate for Europe/FSU
WITNESS

...........................................................................................................................................................................

Gypsy Music Hits Manhattan
2nd annual festival draws many nations, packs club.
Cemil Ozyurt
Issue date: 10/6/06 Section: Entertainment


Since the 11th century Gypsies have been wandering all over the world, from India to Egypt, from Eastern Europe to the US… Now they have their own music festival in New York. About 60 Gypsy musicians, from 10 different countries, including the US, Turkey, Italy and Russia, came together this past autumn for the 2nd Annual New York Gypsy Festival in New York. The festival was held in five venues included The Roxy and New York University's Skirball Center from September 24th to October 8th.

Businessmen and Gypsy music lovers, Serdar Ilhan and Alex Dimitrov, pioneered the festival with leading sponsor the World Music Institute, a not-for-profit concert presenting organization. Forty-four-year-old Turkish promoter Ilhan says his dream came true with the festival. Ilhan ran a tavern on Avenue B, Maia, for two years and he often brought Gypsy groups there. While managing Maia, he discovered that New Yorkers like Gypsy music.

The festival audience was a melting pot where Americas mixed with people from the Balkans, where Gypsy music was first conceived. According to Ilhan, many music fans were attending from outside New York State, according to the online ticket sales report. Twenty-four-year-old attendee of the festival, Lydia Koslowska, says when she listens to Gypsy music, it brings her back to her hometown in Latvia. She smiled and beat a tempo with her feet while six clarinetists each from six different countries filled the place with their resonance.

While the festival brings a new sound experience to the city, it still needs more sponsors. Aside from the World Music Institute, Mehanata, the organizers' yet-to-be-opened club, also supported the festival this year. Ilhan says a sponsors for the festival hasn't been easy and they will need more support for next year's event.

Husnu Senlendirici, a Turkish Roman clarinetist at the festival, says New Yorkers are very eager to learn about Gypsy music and its historic root. "Americans not only listen to music, but also they try to dance with the music, and even they try to sing," he adds. Senlendirici believes that the festival's mission is to introduce new cultures and a new genre of music to America. He wishes the governments of Gypsy music groups should support the festival and doesn't believe the promoters should have to go at it alone.

Most groups which participated came from abroad, but one group featured in the festival is based in New York. Romashka was founded in 2003 by Lithuanian vocalist Inna Barmash and clarinetist Jeff Perlman after they came back from traveling in Eastern Europe. They were inspired by the music they heard on their trips." We chose to play Gypsy music because of the incredible fire, depth, passion, and drive it has," Barsmash says.

In addition to Maia and the Menahata Tavern, Gypsy music bands have some other places in which to perform in New York, such as the Knitting Factory, Barbes, BAM Cafe, Zebulon, and Galapagos. "It's not hard to find places to perform - but finding club owners, like Serdar Ilhan and Sasho (Alex) Dimitrov, who really appreciate the style and are supportive of the musicians - that's much harder," Barsmash said.

Ilhan came to the U.S. 17 years ago and he has been organizing various concerts for 12 years, such as the Jazz Made in Turkey Festival at Lincoln Center in 2004. Like Ilhan and Dimitrov, owner of the Mehanata, which means 'the tavern' in Bulgarian, had a Gypsy music concert series in his place on Canal Street as well. While Ilhan's place's lease ended last spring and Dimitrov's tavern was converted into a Ramada Inn, the two businessmen came together to realize their dream: Having a bigger Gypsy Music Festival.

"New York's cultural diversity makes it sensible to put together this festival here. We are trying to open the door to world music and more specifically gypsy music in the US by an accessible festival," says Ilhan

In addition to the Gypsy Festival, gypsy bands have a chance to perform in the annual Zlatne Uste, Golden Festival, New York's largest Balkan music event, with multiple stages to accommodate everyone from international stars to local musicians. The two-day event is organized every year in January for all Balkan people who live in New York.

It is estimated that there are more than twelve million Gypsies living in many countries around the world. They are believed to have originated mostly from the Punjab and Rajasthan regions of India. They began their migration to Europe and North Africa via the Iranian plateau around 1050. The Balkan countries have the largest Gypsy population and in New York one of the best-known small Gypsy communities is located in the Bronx. Ilhan says, "Everybody likes Gypsy music because they were born to be musicians. To hear their voice in New York strongly, we need more support."

GYPSIES SEEK A HOME IN NEW YORK In addition to holding a new festival for the Gypsy music fans, partners Serdar Ilhan and Alex Dimitrov have faced a series of challenges opening a night club to bring Gypsy music to New York. The Community Board won't issue a liquor and cabaret licenses for them new place, Mehanata, located on Ludlow Street. They have been trying since last May.

The local Community Board reversed and the transfer of licenses rejected. The board said that the area on Ludlow St., where Menahata located, is residential and no more liquor licenses will be issued. The partners protest that the site has hosted a number of clubs/bars for many years in the past, such as Seho and Lickwed.

One of the club's supporters, dancer Julia Kulakova, says House of Gypsy is on its knees for the simple right to exist. She adds, "It reminds me of the historical process of humiliation the gypsies went through so many times in their history."

Menahata has received support even from abroad in its quest to obtain a license. One of its supporters, Valery Novoselsky, wrote a letter to the Community Board from Israel to emphasize the need in the city of New York for this kind of venue.

Serdar Ilhan says it seems that hidden intolerance towards New York's global-minded community as well as against immigrant circles is colliding with the idea of bringing Gypsy Punk, Balkan, and Eastern European, as well as Turkish, music and culture to NYC. To reopen the Mehanata on Ludlow Street, both partners collected more than 1500 signatures and 100 supporters showed up at the Community Board meeting. His web site received more than 300,000 hits. The board split in its decision, with 9 of the 22 members of the board wanting to give permission for a new Gypsy club. After 8 month of suffering Serdar left to Mehanata, Alex opened but still has problems. Partnership for the Venue didn't work but3rd Festival is on the way. Serdar is opening first Gypsy Live Music Venue with big stage in New York which will serve Turkish Fusion food

Quiche Lorraine, a twenty-year-year-old radio producer, writes on the Menahata support web blog, that whether one lives on Ludlow Street or not, Mehanata shouldn't be penalized because of the number of bars in the neighborhood. She adds, "Residents should know what they're bargaining for when they live in proximity of other streets."

www.cingeneyiz.org

Ropörtaj

Serdar İlhan'la Ropörtaj

-Geçmişte hangi alanlarda çalışmalar yürüttünüz? Kısaca kendinizi tanıtabilir misiniz?

Merhaba, Mimar Sinan Üniversitesi Grafik bölümünü bitırdıkten sonra İstanbul’da çeşitli reklam ajanslarında Art Director olarak çalıştım.
1989 yılından beri New York’ta yaşamaktayım. Burada da reklamcılığa devam edip bir yandan da müzik prodüksüyonları gerçekleştırdım ve halen de sürdürmekteyim. Aşağıda yaptığım etkinliklerin bazılarını görebilirsiniz

April 3, 1999 Genco Erkal "Human Landscape"  Kaye Playhouse
May 15, 1999 MFO "Kosova Benefit Concert" Live Club
September 26, 1999 Türkish Earthquake, Jazz Concerts Florance Gould Hall
Al di Meola, Arto Tunc, Badal Roy, Mordy Ferber, A. Engin, I.lhan Ersahin, Ara Dinkciyan
October8, 1999 Ferhan Sensoy "Ferhangi Seyler"  Kaye Playhouse
March 17, 2000 Z. Livaneli - M. Farandouri  Concert Town Hall
May 7, 2000 Musfik Kenter " Bir yılından Garıp Orhan Veli" Florance Gould Hall
November 19, 2000 Genco Erkal  "Can" Kaye Playhouse
December 3, 2000 arıf Sag, E. Erzincan & İstanbul Orch. Symphony Space
May 11, 2001 Musfik Kenter "Huysuz Ihtiyar" Florance Gould Hall
April 14, 2002 Remembering the unforgotten poet" Nazim" Kaye Playhouse
Genco Erkal, Zulfu Livaneli, Zeynep Oral, Tilbe Saran,, Stefan Kinzer, Zisan uğurlu
November 9, 2002 Musfik Kenter "Kuvayi Milliye" Florance Gould Hall
Sept. 24,25,26 2004 Jazz Made In Türkey Festival
March 25, 2005 "Yeni Türku in NY" Satalla
May 6, 2005 "Mercan Dede in NY" M1-5
October 29-November 6, 2005 "New York Gypsy Festival"
November 12 , 2005 "Yasar in NY" M1-5
October 20, 2006 "Ilhan Sesen in NY " M 1 -5
October 22-November8, 2006 "2nd New York Gypsy Festival"

-Çingene kültürüne ne zamandan beri ilgi duyuyorsunuz? Bu ilginizi ortaya çıkaran olaylar ve gerekçeler nelerdir?

Çingene kültürüne ilgim Çingene müziğine olan sevgimle başladı. Özellikle Balkan Çingene müziğini okul yıllarından beri dinlemekteyim, bu müziğe ilgim Çingene kültürünü de incelememe neden oldu tabii. Kültürü tanıdıkça da kendimi yakın hissettim.
Kesin birşey soylemek zor belki ama Çingenelerin özgür yapısı, coşkusu ama diğer yandan da geleneklerine bağlılığı çok güzel. Bir de tarıh boyunca, özellikle Avrupa’da surekli dışlanmaları daha da otesinde Naziler tarafından Yahudilerle beraber Çingelerin de soykırıma uğraması da beni Çingenelere daha yaklaştırdı diyebilirim. Çingenelerin müziğe olan yakınlığı ve yetenegi bende her zaman hayranlık uyandırmıştır.

İlk Çingene festivalıni yaptığım sene Ahmet Ertegun ben kendisine bahsetmeden önce duymuş festivalı, birkac hafta sonrasında bana – “Niye daha önce bu festivalden bahsetmedin bana, izlemek isterdim benim için dünyanın en iyi müziği Çingenelerin yaptığı müziktir” demisti.

-Newyork'ta bir Çingene festivalı düzenleme düşüncesi sizde nasıl ortaya çıktı?

Bundan 4 sene once Maia Meyhane isimli bir Restaurant çalıştırıyordum. Orada Cuma gunleri New York’ta Balkan Gypsy Müziği yapan grupları çıkarıyordum. Bu grupların hicbiri Çingene kökenli müzisyenlerden oluşmasada Çingene müziğini seven Amerikalı coğunluğu Yahudi olan Klezmer müzik yapan müzisyenlerden oluşuyordu. Bir müddet sonra bu akşamları beraber oluşturduğumuz halen de benimle birlikte çalışan arkadaşım Mehmet Dede ile bunu daha büyük boyutta yapıp Türkiye’den de gruplar getirerek senelik bir festival yapma kararı aldık. Aynı dönemde Gypsy müziğini New York’a sevdirenlerin başında gelen DJ arkadaşımız Joro Boro’da kendi çalıştığı barın sahibinin de (Mehanata) böyle bir festival yapmak istediğinden bahsetti. Sonrasında iki mekan birleşip beraber yapmaya karar verdik ve ilk Gypsy festivalıni gerçekleştirdik.

-Festivalde birlikte çalıştığınız ekip arkadaşlarınızı kısaca tanıtır mısınız? Bu ekibin ortak özellikleri nelerdir?

Festivale ilk başladıgımızda 5 – 6 kisiydik. Ben, Mehmet Dede, Joro Boro (Bulgar), Alex Dimitrov (Bulgar) en büyük ortak Özellığımız Çingene müziğine olan tutkumuzdur diyebilirim. Onun dışında hepimiz Prodüktörlük yapıyoruz ve müzik yapılan mekan sahibiyiz.

-Festivale ABD'de yaşayan yerel Çingene gruplarından katılım oluyor mu? Bu grupların yaşam koşulları nasıl? Amerikan Çingeneleri ile Türk Çingeneleri arasında kültür ve sosyo-ekonomik açılardan farklılıklar görüyor musunuz?

Festivallere yerel Çingene gruplar tabiki katılıyor Özellikle Mekadonyalılar ve Romanyalılar coğunlukta. Onun dışında az oranda Fransız, Sırp ve Türk Çingeneleri sayabilirim. New York’ta cok fazla Çingene nufusu yok, ağırlıklı olarak Bronx, NY ve New Jersey’de yasıyorlar. Sosyo ekonomik açıdan buradaki Çingeneler kesinlikle Türkiye’den daha iyi durumdalar diyebilirim. Kültürel farklılık yok denecek kadar az bence. Uzun zamandır Türkiye’den uzak olduğum için yanılma payım da var mutlaka!

-Festivalin organizasyon gerçekleşme süreçlerinde karşılaştığınız ilgi çekici olaylar var mı? Bunları kısa anekdotlar şeklinde bizimle paylaşabilir misiniz?

İlk festivalde Türkiye’den Hüsnü Senlendirici, Bulgarıstan’dan Ivo Papazov, Yuri Yunakov ve New York’tan da Mecadonyalı Ismail Lumanovski ile yaptığımız “Clarınet All Stars” gecesi ilgincti.
-Ismail Hüsnü’ye hayran ve aynı sahneyi paylaştığı icin cok mutlu.
-Hüsnü daha 12 yaşındayken Ivo ile beraber zaman geçirmiş onun ustad abilerinden biri keza Yuri’yi yıllarca biliyor. Onların aralarındaki sohbet ve sakalasmalar cok keyif vericiydi ve konser de inanılmaz güzel geçmişti.
- İkinci festivalde Hüsnü’nün Gypsy Kings ile sahneye cıkışı ve onlarla bir parça çalması seyirci tarafından çok ilgi görmüştü.
- İlk festivalde Gogol Bordello konseri başlamasına 20 dakika kala Kulübun kapıcıları ve Polis, bas gitar calacak olan müzisyeni kimliği yok diye içeri almadılar, ama 15 dakika dert anlattıktan sonra içeri almayı başarabilmiştik.

-Festivale katılan gruplar arasında ilginizi en çok çekenler hangileridir? Bu grupların hangi özelliklerinin ilgi çekici olduğunu düşünüyorsunuz?

Son dort senede bircok grubu konuk ettik, gercekten de bunların hemen hepsi cok basarılı gruplardı. Bunların içinde benim icin en özel olan Hüsnü Senlendirici’dir. Buğune kadar bircok müzisyenle tanıştım ve çalıştım, hale çalıştırmakta olduğum mekanda da hergun konserler yapılmakta hüsnü Senlendirici’nin özelliklerinde müzisyene raslamak hic kolay degil.

Biz mümkün olduğunca farklı ülkelerden gruplar getirmeye çalışıyoruz, amacımız çeşitliliği korumak.

-Son festivale Türkiye'den Babazula katıldı. Grubun belirlenmesi sürecinde hangi faktörler gözönüne alındı? Tercih kriterleriniz nelerdir?

Baba Zula ilginc bir grup, tam Çingene müziği katagorisine koymak dogru olmayabilir ama kendilerine has bir müzik anlayışları var, modern Electronic ve Dub music yapıyorlar, dans ve görsel kullanıyorlar. Özellikle Amerika’lı izleyicilerin çok ilgisini çektiler.

Söylediğim gibi çeşitlilik bizim için önemli ayrıca her sene değişik ülkelerin Çingene müziklerini bir araya getirmek onemli. Bu zamana kadar bunu yaptık diyebilirim.Seneye hedefimiz 4 ayrı eyalette de Gypsy Festival Geceleri hazırlamak, yani dolasan bir festival.

-Sitemizle ilgili düşünceleriniz nelerdir?

Sitenizi çok beğendim, Çingene kültürüyle ilgili birçok site var fakat Türkçe olarak ilk defa bu kadar içeriklisine tanık oldum tebrik ederim. Bu tür çalışmaların kültürün doğru tanıtımına katkısı tartışmasız cok onemli.

-Son olarak eklemek istediğiniz bir şey var mı?

Festivalimize devam edeceğiz 2009 yılının çalışmalarına başladık şimdiden. En zorlandığımız konu sponsor bulmak, umarım birgün bu zorluğu da aşarız.
“Bazen bizim festivalimiz de Dünya Çingenelerinin kaderini mi paylaşıyor diye düsünmüyor değilim !”

ALL ABOUT JAZZ, New York

Going to Drom is like taking a journey to the most exotic places on earth and, as Ilhan explains, that is where the club's moniker comes from, --It comes from the word “dromus - road”. Drom is “a journey” in the Gypsy language like in the movie Latcho Drom - Safe Journey. Open less than a year, its patrons have thus far been treated to many unique musical journeys. This is in part due to the backgrounds and experiences of the owners. As Ilhan relates, “I have been in
the production and restaurant business for a long time. I always wanted to have a place like Drom to showcase world
music. After selling my last place, Maia Meyhane [7th and B], my friends Nachi and Numan liked the idea and wanted to
be partners with me. We are three partners, two of us Turkish and the other one Indian. I studied art and I am a graphic
designer and producer. My partners are from the finance sector. I like jazz and world music and the last five to six years I
have been into Gypsy music a lot!”

Ilhan's love of Gypsy music resulted in this year's Droma Gypsy Festival that concludes this month and brought together
the finest gypsy musicians in the world for nine days of multi-cultural music. When jazz fans think of gypsy guitarists the
great Django Reinhardt tops the list. Expanding on that tradition at this year’s festival was guitarist Dotschy
Reinhardt who melds Brazilian, jazz and gypsy into a captivating sound. The festivities close with a phenomenal
jazz/world double billing. Trumpet virtuoso, compositional innovator and fusion master Frank London, whose work with
the Klezmatics, Hasidic New Wave and John Zorn has revitalized the relationship between jazz and Jewish music, is
joined by percussionist Sunny Jain whose Indian/jazz projects have likewise formed a new musical relationship between
jazz and India. In this special event, Jain will play the Indian double-sided dholi drum in the context of his Red Baraat
Festival, a 13-member horn/percussion experience.

Three other October dates highlight the unique platform that Drom provides for cross-cultural pollination. Firstly,
clarinetist Margot Leverett, who along with London is a founder of klezmer's jazzy new wave, brings her Klezmer
Mountain Boys project to Drom's intimate setting for an evening of klezmer/bluegrass fare. The culmination of banjo
player Jayme Stone’s field studies and musical explorations of the African roots of the America banjo follows. He
is joined by kora master Mansa Sissoko to showcase the harmonious juncture of these two stringed instruments in his
“Africa to Appalachia” project. Finally, saxophonist David Rogers has produced Imaginary Homeland, a concept album that
developed from years of African field study. His music, subtitled “African Fiddle Meets American Jazz,” introduces the
Ghanian native drum language and horse hair fiddle to the West Virginia mountains with a downtown New York flair. He
will be joined that evening by balafonist (African xylophone) Famoro Dioubate and his nine-piece band for high voltage
classical African melodies.

Rounding out October are two individual performances by singular guitarists. Pavel Rivera and his band come to Drom to
debut the enchanting Gira that smoothly blends Latin, jazz and electronic beats into a delightfully ambient groove. This
provides counterpoint to a very special performance of Turkish folk music by the originator of the fretless guitar, Erkan
www.dromnyc.com
http://dromnyc.com/home Powered by Joomla! Generated: 26 November, 2008, 19:35
Ogur, and Ismail Hakki Demircioglu on divan lute.

With the diversity of acts that Drom has been host to, Ilhan views the night the great Serbian trumpeter Boban Markovic
came to their stage as one of the more memorable. “His band was coming from Canada and we were expecting them in
New York at noon but because of the storm they arrived at midnight and their concert was at 9 pm. There were almost
200 fans who waited over three hours so the band played until three in the morning and everybody was dancing.”

In addition to the music, Drom's menu and space is also delightfully international. The food created by Spanish chef
Diego Gonzales is a deliciously global mixture with an emphasis on veggie and fish dishes such as “Happy Salmon” cured
with Raki and served with a cucumber dill salad. The cocktail menu, created by Japanese mixologist Shige, features
signature drinks and the favorite, “Summer Fling,” a smooth concoction of shiso-infused vodka and tonic. The music, food,
drinks and atmosphere make Drom the premier NYC destination for those on a global musical journey.

~ Elliott Simon