by Heidi Trautmann

On Saturday, October 9 at 20:00, Cypress Classica have given a concert of Turkish Cypriot Folk Music with a classical touch. When I first heard them in Bellapais I had my friend Ismet Tatar sitting next to me and she cried out over one or the other piece, that her mother and grandmother had sung those tunes to them. A new modern approach to Folk music and songs which might reach young people as well. A good idea of keeping traditional music alive in society.

Around one hundred people came to the concert and donated at will at the entrance of the church instead of paying for tickets. I heard about TL.. were thus collected which will be used against urgently needed repair work on the outside of the church. The church committee had many expenditures for 150 chairs, an electric piano, for badly needed lighting and carpenter work. Following their idea of having concerts in the church to have not only regular village music entertainment but also some income for the maintenance of the church and support for educational fees for young Turkish Cypriot people.

The group Cypress Classica was first founded by Oskay Hoca, Fikri Toros and Osman Cankoy in January 2008. Their aim is to reintroduce the very old traditional Turkish Cypriot folk songs, especially to the younger generations by using classical instruments with a contemporary polyphonic understanding. Oskay Hoca has made the musical arrangements and it is also their aim for future concerts to introduce the audience to the background of the folk songs, at what occasions the songs were sung and where they stemmed from.

The musicians are: Petek Cankoy (vocal), Ayse Sadik (violoncello) the chef Oskay Hoca  (composer, oboe) Fikri Toros (piano) Osman Cankoy (guitar and vocal) Eralp Adanir (percussion) and Mustafa Fegon (violin).

The reception of Cypress Classica was enthusiastic, especially Petek Cankoy with her good voice, and the audience was grateful to be given information on the background of the folk songs by Fikri Toros.