Various Artists: Turkish Groove (Putumayo/Elite)

 |   |  <1 min read

Mustafa Sandal: Kalmadi
Various Artists: Turkish Groove (Putumayo/Elite)

The Putumayo label pumps out the compilations and some of them, most actually, are pretty indifferent.

But the likeable generic packaging has captured the imagination so some people just get into that "buy the series" thing -- and get stuck with uninteresting Asian Lounge, various albums of kiddie folk, and disappointing collections of B-grade Cuban or Brazilian artists.

But this one is very cool: a collection of contemporary music from Turkey where Western pop sensibilities blend with traditional melodies and instruments (zither, saz), and the songs often have swirling and dramatic orchestration. And throughout very hip dance grooves.

Pop from the melting pot of the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   World Music from Elsewhere articles index

Planetary Coalition: Planetary Coalition (ArtistShare)

Planetary Coalition: Planetary Coalition (ArtistShare)

And here's what happens when a Californian thrash metaller -- in this case guitarist Alex Skolnick of Testament  --  turns the volume all the way up to . . . 5? Skolnick (who has... > Read more

Djelimady Tounkara: Solon Kono (Harmonia Mundi)

Djelimady Tounkara: Solon Kono (Harmonia Mundi)

Guitarist Tounkara sometimes spins off notes like an avant-garde guitarist (he is admired by New York's Bill Frisell who has performed with him) but for this album he gets back onto acoustic guitar... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

TOM WAITS. BONE MACHINE, CONSIDERED (1992): Skeleton-rattling sounds and buried beauty

TOM WAITS. BONE MACHINE, CONSIDERED (1992): Skeleton-rattling sounds and buried beauty

In the early Nineties Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead observed that Bob Dylan still wrote the most beautiful tunes . . . didn't always sing 'em of course, but the melody was in there somewhere.... > Read more

Son of Dave: '02' (Kartel/Rhythmethod)

Son of Dave: '02' (Kartel/Rhythmethod)

In the last couple of years this UK-based Canadian-born singer-songwriter (aka Ben Darvill, formerly of Crash Test Dummies) has conjured up the spirit and sound of old bluesmen punctuated with raw... > Read more