In Tribute to Talip Özkan

Turkish saz player Emre Gültekin has recorded two duo albums with Armenian duduk player Vardan Hovanissian (their Karin was a Top of the World in March 2019, #145). But this is his solo debut and it’s a tribute to one of his teachers, the superb saz player Talip Özkan (1939-2010). Özkan worked many years at Turkish Radio playing music from different regions of the country on various long-necked lutes. After 20 years at TRT, he settled in France where one of his albums, L’Art Vivant de Talip Özkan on Ocora, introduced many, including myself, to saz music. Coincidentally, the day that album was released, September 17 1980, was also the day Gültekin was born. He recorded this tribute on the same date exactly 40 years later.

Gültekin plays ten varied tracks giving a wonderful introduction, as did Özkan, to the intricacy and intimacy of the repertoire. Opener ‘Latif-i-Hasret’ features a range of styles, with the percussive scrunch of fingers on strings. ‘Pacarano’ and ‘Can Nesimi’ are played on the high-pitched cura, and ‘Dersim Khyapa’ on a much darker, lower instrument plus his vocals. The only other track with vocals is the closing ‘Baulfolia’, with female singer Malabika Brahma from Kolkata. It’s the only element of ‘fusion’ on what is otherwise a glorious solo celebration of the Turkish saz.