Music Monday - Oriental Monday
Turkish singer/songwriter Gaye Su Akyol´s new album "Istikrarl Hayal Hakikattir" (The Consistent Dream Becomes Reality) is an eclectic mix of traditional Turkish music, 60s surf music and grunge.
The progressive, humanistic world might look with dismay at Turkey´s Islamistic backlash at the moment, but let´s not forget that Turkey has been, still is and hopefully always will be also the home of great artists and humanists.
Or in the words of Gaye Su Akyol:
"In a difficult country like Turkey, which borders on the Middle East, Europe and Russia, in an increasingly conservative atmosphere and in a world which contributes to this darkness with its chaos and power struggles, I do believe that we must create a counter reality which challenges the organised evil and the horrible reality connected with it.
The most powerful solution is consistent dreaming."
A country I have always been fascinated with, but might never visit due to security concerns, is Yemen.
As a bricklayer I am especially interested in the mud buildings there, some of the highest mud buildings in the world, the "skyscrapers of mud".
But since this is about music, let´s listen to the woman who, at least that´s what I think, put Yemenite music on the world map, Ofra Haza.
And another Yemenite Jew bringing joy to the world!
A second generation Yemenite Jew singing in Yemeni Arabic in a Palestinian café in Old Jerusalem and for a moment peaceful coexistence seems possible.
That´s what I love about this video.
Shalom, Salam, Om Shanti!