Dr Oytam believes that Cyprus is a place where tribalism can sometimes dominate. He believes that people often forget that there is only one Cyprus, that both sides share a common history that goes back into the ages. He notes that the concerts goal is to remind people of that in a positive way. And he adds that that the best way to do that is with beautiful Cypriot songs.
What kind of songs are there going to be?
The program runs for two hours, with more than a dozen songs. There will be songs in both Greek and Turkish and some pieces will even be performed in both languages. Notable examples include Giasemi (one of Oytam’s favourites), Dolama/Syrtos and Sabahın Seher Vahdında, a song that talks about a young Muslim's love for a Christian girl who reads passages from the Bible.
Source: Supplied
How the idea came to be
The idea of Songs for Cyprus lies with Ayşe Göknur Shanal. A famed soprano, Mrs Shanal has performed with Opera Australia and symphonic state orchestras. Mrs Shanal hails from Cyprus, from her mother’s side and she decided to visit the island when her mother passed away. The island entranced her and that was when she got the inspiration for what would later become Songs of Cyprus.
“It came about because I went to Cyprus and retraced my roots and fell in love with the Island. And I wanted to create a concert in the name of my mother and grandfather, and sing in both languages, because I don't believe in separation. Simple. This was the whole motivation”, says Mrs Shanal.
When she returned to Australia, she went to a tavern in Sydney where she met a group of Greek Cypriots and she sang for them in Greek. The positive reactions pushed her to put her idea into practise. She contacted Dr Oytam and after he heard about her idea he offered his help. Through his contacts they managed to gather the rest of the band. The rest of the band members are Achilleas Yiangouli, a bouzouki player, Gazi Yalçın plays bağlama and ney (Middle Eastern flute) and George El-Azar will be handling percussion instruments.
Press the Play button on the main photo and listen to the interview in English
