The first line of “Kayip Çocuk | Lost Child” was written when I saw a girl on the television screaming over the death of her father during the Isis massacre of Yezidi Kurds. The girl asked, “Why this is happening? Why can’t you stop this?”

This is a poem by 17th century Alevi asik bard Karacaoğlan, with music by Olcay and arranged and produced by talented Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist Deniz Mahir Kartal. In Turkey the prolific output of Karacaoğlan is compared to Shakespeare and love and death feature strongly.

The album Rüya - Dream is the next step on a journey that began in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, over 3,000 kilometres from cosmopolitan London. To paraphrase the opening song Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım, an excerpt from Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu ...

Inspired by the meeting of Asian and Mediterranean musical traditions, Olcay Bayir’s songs unfold ancient stories of love and mystery from the region of Turkey. Olcay Bayir’s songs unfold ancient stories of Anatolian love and mystery.

An Asia Minor song in Greek. “Sto pa kai sto xanaleo” means “I told you and I’m telling you again”. Recorded remotely during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Vocal – Olcay Bayır
Bouzouki – Utkan Koçak

Bernard is a Real World artist who has worked with Rufus Wainwright, Sinead O’Connor, Donovan, Natacha Atlas and Jeff Buckley and Syriana.
Word and Music - Olcay Bayir
Original song arranged and produced by Giuliano Modarelli & Al MacSween

Includes Various Artists
Published - January 25, 2019
Tracks - 16 songs
Duration - 1 hr 8 min

Brexit Blues offers a light-hearted yet poignant collection of folk, roots and blues music from across Europe, lamenting a decision that confounds those of us who openly welcome our neighbours and celebrate cultural diversity.

Various Artists
October 25, 2019
11 songs
47min 48 sec

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