Why You Should Know Selda Bağcan (…and dare not miss her at Le Guess Who? Festival), by tune-yards Merrill Garbus. It has always been a dream to have Selda Bağcan perform at our festival. Via friends in Berlin, London and Istanbul we managed to have Selda play together with her new band Boom Pam, headlining our Sunday line-up. It seems that a lot of other artists playing Le Guess Who? this year feel the say about Selda. We’ve asked them to explain why Selda is so special to them. First of all is Merrill Garbus a.k.a. tUnE-yArDs (playing before Selda at the Ronda Stage in TivoliVredenburg): “You probably dont know Selda, unless you are obsessed with Anatolian psychedelic rock, or are a record collector traveling to the side alleys of Istanbul buying 7s to spin at your next taste-making DJ gig, or if you have a specific interest in politically-oriented Turkish music from the embattled era of the 70s. Or if youre Mos Def: youtube/watch?v=EsbYTNOKUm4. You really, REALLY, should know Selda. The first time I heard Selda I thought WHY HAVENT I EVER HEARD THIS BEFORE? Because Seldas crystalline, cutting voice is unreal, and shes basically calling you to action, to at least cry out, oh YEAH!” If not stop everything youre doing and start bopping your head up and down to the sick drum beats and bang-on guitar riffs. Seriously, just listen: youtube/watch?v=vL3raxfj1oo Why havent you heard of Selda? Probably because she sings in Turkish, and you dont know Turkish. And probably because her government made it extremely hard to share her music with the rest of the world (including imprisoning her repeatedly for the people-power, truth-telling messages in her songs). And mostly because were generally very ignorant about the better music made in this world while were busy digesting what mass media is telling us to listen to. I cant express how weird it is, and probably inappropriate, for my Pitchfork-lauded, neon-pink-spandex-wearing band to be opening for Selda. Think of her like the Joan Baez of revolutionary Turkey and you might get me. Its an unbelievable honor and privilege, and Im trembling in my spandex in anticipation. If you dont trust me, listen to Antony Hegarty: The artist Ive been listening to more than anybody else is Selda, the Turkish singer. I think shes considered a revolutionary singer -- she was in a lot of political trouble for a number of years, shes kind of like the voice of the people. Its almost like shes crying. To all the revolutionary voices seldom heard, and to you, the curious listener, for keeping your ears open wider. And to Selda: youtube/watch?v=2aoRw_h_8es.”
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 12:28:08 +0000
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