In Istanbul, Vitrin Showcase Part of a Growing Trend in Programming

By Michelle Mercer I Jul. 15, 2019

North Sea Jazz Festival’s Frank Bolder and Smithsonian Folkways’ Huib Schippers admire The Blue Mosque ceiling during a tour that was part of the 2019 Vitrin Contemporary Turkish Music Showcase in Istanbul.
(Photo: Poyraz Tütüncü)
Baris Demirel’s Barıştık Mı project after a performance along the Bosphorus Strait.
(Photo: Emre Durmuş)

When it comes to what exactly makes a country’s improvised music appealing, delegates have a range of views on the value of native folk inflections.

“At a couple of showcases, I’ve seen young cats trying to to copy their American heroes,” Bolder said. “They all want to sound like Keith Jarrett or Joshua Redman, but they come from a different background. For me, it becomes more interesting if they fuse the music that they like so much with their own folk roots. Then it becomes something special, a new kind of music.”

Schultze noted the precedent of Dave Brubeck’s jazz hit “Blue Rondo A La Turk,” which was richly inspired by Turkish time signatures, but argues it’s best to avoid essentializing Turkish or any other musicians into the keepers of their folk traditions. “Any fusion of native and other musical traditions has to happen organically,” he said.

To become truly export-ready, bands from countries less established in the global jazz market might need something more than a unique style or sharp performance skills. Tour funding can be key. To that end, Vitrin offers the SOCAR Turkey Silk Road Tour Support Award, a $2,500 EUR stipend for two acts voted best in showcase. Some European programmers at Vitrin said travel support is not critical to their bookings. But Jae-Jin In, director of South Korea’s Jarasum Jazz Festival, said that for international competitiveness, the Turkish government should provide musicians with substantial tour support. “The musicians who perform at Jarasum, sometimes their airfare to Seoul is higher than their fee,” he said. “Besides a few famous musicians, we have to put priority on the musicians who have some support for airfare.”

With the Vitrin showcase attracting dozens of preeminent programmers during the past three years, it’s safe to expect more Turkish music soon on a stage near you. And on the global recording market, too. Smithsonian Folkways label director Huib Schippers says he’s planning some label business with Vitrin musicians.

Bring the world’s culture-makers to Istanbul, and they’ll not only take Istanbul to the world—they’ll probably be back again. DB