Search - Kemani Cemal :: Sulukule Turkish Belly Dance

Most casual listeners don't immediately think of Turkey when they think of Gypsy music, but that country has always been one of the spawning grounds for the music of the Indo-European culture of the Gypsies. The rich and wonderful style of çifetelli and karsilama, best known as belly-dance music, goes way beyond those lounge records from the '40s and '50s. Kemani Cemal Çinareli is one of the contemporary masters of this rich musical heritage, a violinist of high skill and deep understanding. Backed by an ensemble of oud, darbuka (hourglass drum), kanun (hammered zither), and some searing clarinet from Bigali Ahmet, Kemani Cemal pulls a varied collection of wild shrieks, slides, and rapid-fire trills from his violin, creating beauty and tension to drive the dancers (and the CD listener) on and on. Well recorded and very well remastered, these recordings offer a contemporary look at an ages-old musical tradition that still thrives and grows in Istanbul. --Louis Gibson