DERYA YILDIRIM & GRUP ŞİMŞEK @ Metropol

Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek hit the road again. Bağlama player, singer and multi-instrumentalist Derya Yıldırım and her international band of brothers and sisters continue their psychedelic journey, meandering through Anatolian folk music and poetry with their electrifying grooves.

Born in 2014, and with three albums and one EP under their belt, the group has forged a formidable reputation with their heady mix of Anatolian folk, 1970s Turkish rock, psychedelia, pop and jazz. While rooted in Anatolian tradition, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek draws on a boundless cosmos of sounds and builds on the contribution of each band member.

Yıldırım was born in a multicultural neighborhood of Hamburg, where she was influenced by the culture and music of neighboring communities as well as that of her family, learning the bağlama alongside piano, sax, and guitar. Despite being multilingual, Yıldırım exclusively sings in Turkish: “It’s really important to me because that’s the language I can really express myself in, it’s my emotional language” she explains.

Graham Mushnik (organ, synthesizer and clavinet) and Antonin Voyant (guitar, bass and flute) are both members of the London/France-based collective Catapulte Records and played in l'Orchestre du Montplaisant, a quartet known for its cinematic, retro atmospheres - a clear influence on Grup Şimsek's sprawling, vintage-tinged compositions. The band marries 1960s and 70s Anatolian influences with a contemporary approach to composition and rhythm, thanks in large part to the contribution of drummer, percussionist, composer, and marimba player Greta Eacott. Acting in her stead since May 2022 is Capetonian drummer Helen Wells, who is introducing her own style and sensibilities from the South African DIY and psychedelic scene into the live set.

The hypnotic vocals of Derya Yıldırım, her bağlama playing and the jazz- and pop-inspired Grup Şimşek harmonise not only in their well-crafted compositions, but above all in their art of improvisation. Catch them live!

presented by hhv

Photo: Philomena Wolflingseder