From Istanbul to Marrakech

Naar Marrakech – a musical odyssey across seas and centuries

From the refined sounds of Andalusian music, rooted in historic Al-Andalus, to the majestic melodic lines of Ottoman classical music. From there, the journey leads to the raw, lived-in sounds of rebetiko, the poignant street music of Athens and Istanbul. Music full of melancholy, passion and zest for life, in which the rich history of the Mediterranean world comes to life.

A special role is reserved for the makam, the refined melodic system that occupies an important place in Turkish and broader Middle Eastern musical traditions. Dr. Michalis Cholevas provides a short, inspiring presentation in which he highlights the historical backgrounds, classical forms and improvisation traditions of the makam. With live examples, he demonstrates how this ancient musical tradition offers space for personal expression, including in the instrumental taksim and the vocal gazel.

Mediterraneo Band

The Mediterraneo Band was founded in 2022 out of a shared love for the musical traditions around the Mediterranean Sea. The musicians, hailing from Syria, Turkey, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands, found each other at Codarts WMDC in Rotterdam. Their interplay brings together Arabic, Greek and Turkish music in a surprising encounter between tradition and innovation. With vocals, violin, clarinet, piano, drums and double bass, they create a rich and colourful sound in which authentic makam sounds merge with contemporary musical influences.

Mediterraneo Band & Salah Eddin Mosbah: Salah Eddin Musbah (MA) - vocals Pelagia Tsiachri Renta (GR) - vocals Burak Savaş (TR) - vocals, violin Caner Malkoç (TR) - clarinet Yiorgos Bereris (GR) - piano Ektoras Remsak (GR/PL) - drums Ayman Hajjmian (SY/NL) - double bass

Special guest: Dr. Michalis Cholevas, with a musical introduction to the world of the makam.