MURAT AYDEMIR, CHRISTOS BARBAS – BOOK OF BIRDS

Description

Seven years ago Murat Aydemir and Christos Barbas recorded their first album The Mountain and the Tree in Istanbul, containing original compositions for tanbur & ney. Since then they have played concerts in Greece, Spain, Japan & Cyprus developing further the interaction and relation between them. In their newest album Book of Birds, recorded in Brussels for the Seyir Muzik label, October 2024, they create a collection of contemporary compositions inspired by and based on the modal traditions of the wider middle eastern and Mediterranean traditions. Their unique mastership on their instruments serves as a prism, a meeting point, for different pieces from different composers to take new shape. 

The Tanbur and Ney duo is considered to be the perfect vehicle for the development and expression of the classical makam in the Ottoman-Turkish tradition, especially its ritual and classical parts as well as the Mevlevi repertoire. The two musicians wanted to investigate further their joint sound through new repertoire and compositions, so they asked friends of theirs and prominent musicians in the world of modal music, Ross Daly, Kelly Thoma, Evgenios Voulgaris and Sokratis Sinopoulos for compositions of their own that could fit their duo.

Birds are a recurring theme in Sufi poetry with multiple and diverse symbolisms: they represent a connection between the material and the spiritual realms, are intermediaries between earth and sky, carriers of messages from the beyond; but also as a symbol of community: the importance of the group as a vehicle for sharing, growing and creating complex and meaningful formations, flocks, for passing on, sharing and even creating new stories; in our case musical ones.

Through the spellbinding sound of the Tanbur, with its natural rich harmonic aura created by the sympathetic strings, and the airy meditative sound of the Ney, the reed flute, Murat Aydemir & Christos Barbas give their own version of the story, reading the book of birds, and navigating by way of improvisations, attentive listening and careful nuances the world of sounds, colors and spirits.

Book of Birds reflects the Turkish-Greek duo’s artistic growth, their commitment to refining and pushing forward the boundaries of their art, and also stands as a testament not only to their own friendship and profound connection to their community and roots, but as well to the labour and creativity of a much wider collective of artists and musical scene.

PRESS

“On their latest album Book of Birds, recorded in Brussels for the Seyir Muzik label, they present a collection of contemporary compositions rooted in the modal traditions of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Their virtuoso mastery of their instruments lends these pieces a timeless quality. And so they string together one sublime gem after another. Sit back, listen attentively and then listen again, because this music can enchant you, but you do need to take the time for it.” Holly Moors, Moorsmagazine, BE