Nestled in the cradle of civilization where East meets West lies Istanbul, a Euro-Asian capital with a rich musical history. Istanbulive will celebrate with the extraordinary virtuosity and diversity found in Turkish pop, folk and rock music today.
Acclaimed and multi-talented writer, politician, film director and musician Zülfü Livaneli has been a mainstay in Turkish culture for decades - in fact, he is celebrating 40 years in the arts in 2011. While his book Bliss has been published in the US and became a bestseller across the world, he is best known in the world of music for his fusion of Turkish traditional songs with contemporary stylings. Livaneli has composed hundred of songs, won numerous international accolades and performed with U2, Joan Baez, Haris Alexiou, Jocelyn B. Smith, George Dalaras, Zubin Mehta, Mikis Theodorakis, Maria Farantouri, among many others.
maNga’s fusion of Anatolian melodies, rock and hip-hop with electronic elements is internationally recognized as evidenced by their Best European Act award at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards. Additionally, their pan-European hit, “We Could Be the Same” came in second at the 2010 Eurovision Song contest. Named after the globally popular Japanese comic books, maNga strives to create a similarly universally accessible sound. Performing before Zülfü Livaneli, the performance will mark maNga’s US debut.
New York City, NY; NYC