19.09.2018
Article: Cem Kayıran
Translation: Leyla Aksu
Our countdown to 28th Akbank Jazz Festival, which will host over 100 musicians as well as talks, workshops and brunch meetings, is going on. This year festival’s programme includes swing jazz events, theatre talks and conversations with local musicians who migrated to Scandinavian countries.
Conversation: The Chapter of North
Jazz programmer Hakan Rauf Tüfekçi will be moderating a conversation focusing on the musicians from Turkey who migrated to Scandinavian countries from the end of 1960’s to 1980’s. The guests, Emin Fındıkoğlu, Okay Temiz and Neşet Ruacan, will discuss the hardships these migrating musicians faced, some of whom stayed permanently and produced striking work, as well as the conditions of the era and the reflections of those conditions in their music. The conversation will take place at Soho House on 20th October, Saturday.
Conversation: A Tribute To Erol Pekcan
It would be impossible to talk about the Turkish jazz scene without remembering Erol Pekcan. Besides being a visionary drummer, Pekcan was an important influencer on younger generations with his radio programs and the orchestras he founded. He was also among the team who initiated Akbank Jazz Festival in 1991. Hülya Tunçağ will be moderating a conversation in tribute to this influential figure of Turkish jazz, with guests Nilüfer Verdi, Sebla Pekcan and Ayten Yaraş Pekcan. The event will take place at Pera Palace Hotel on 21st October, Sunday.
Conversation: Koffi Kwahulé
Award winning writer Koffi Kwahulé is going to be the guest of Akbank Jazz Festival for a special talk session. Kwahulé’s works always incorporate jazz & rhythm elements, since the writer likes to shape his plays with naïve musical touches. Born on the Ivory Coast, and being one of the African writers whose plays are staged globally, Kwahulé will discuss the connections between theatre and jazz as well as the reflections of such connections in his works. The conversation will take place at the French Cultural Centre on 22nd October.
Swing Jazz / Lindy Hop Dance Workshop
Lindy Hop dance movement dominated the swing period and was hugely popular in the first twenty years of the 20th Century, paving the way for various dance movements that followed. İstanbul Lindy Hoppers will be conveying the liberating experience of this dance to the attendees at the workshops that will take place on both sides of the city. Save the date: The workshops will take place at Stüdyo Harlem, Taksim on 20th October and at Stüdyo Savoy, Kadıköy the next day!
Swing Jazz / Solo Jazz Dance Workshop
İstanbul Lindy Hoppers team are inviting us to meet the dynamic rhythms of solo jazz dance and taste the swing movement through solo moves at two separate one-hour long workshops. Each workshop is capped at 25-person capacity, with the first taking place at Stüdyo Harlem on 20th October and the second at Stüdyo Savoy on 21st October.
Jazz Tap Workshop
Are you ready to follow the jazz steps of 1920’s? Tap dance masterfully mixes musicality and rhythm for grand entertainment. The workshop will take place on 21st October, Sunday at Stüdyo Savoy, Kadıköy with a capacity of 25 people.
Swing Kids / Dance Workshop For Children
As every year, Akbank Jazz Festival will be holding activities for children. The kids who will attend Swing Kids workshop will be playing fun games as well as experiencing the liberating elements of music and dance. The workshops will take place on 20th October at Akbank Sanat and 21st October at Stüdyo Savoy and the children of 12 years and older can participate. Don’t forget: the attendance for both workshops is capped at 25 people.
Jazzy Brunch: Bizim Tepe and Moda Deniz Kulübü
Akbank Jazz Festival will be holding two brunch events that will feature live jazz performances. First brunch will take place at the historical Moda Deniz Kulübü on 21st October with jazz band Standards accompanying the delicious brunch menu of the club. Bizim Tepe will be hosting the second brunch on 28th October with guitar, saxophone and contrabass trio NewPel on the stage.