May
07-09, 2014 at the Dome Hotel and GAU University
By
Heidi Trautmann
“Our
new CD ‘Bir Daha Sevemem’ with poems and songs has come out” I was told by Dr.
Arif Ali Albayrak, a cooperation between him and Mustafa Tozakı,
whose last CD I have introduced to our readers not so long ago. Dr. Arif Ali Albayrak
is a multi-faceted man, gynaecologist by profession, poet, composer, musician,
he has several ud’s, he sings, paints and is known to all as caricaturist, and
he signs with AAA; …and he is in the Parliament, and is ….the father of famous
Umut Albayrak, the singer. And she is one of the singers on the new CD; the
other vocals on the CD are Sibel Tozakı, Mustafa Tozakı, Halil Akansel and
Kazim Özalp.
Now
AAA was co-ordinating and participating in the ‘1st Kyrenia Poetry
and Music Days’ together with Ayşegül Dinçbaş, poet, and supported by Sümer
Aygin, Mayor of Kyrenia. So I learnt about the event and was invited to the
reception at the Dome Hotel where all the participants were gathering, writers
and poets, composers and musicians, but also other artists. AAA has also shown
his own paintings and his caricatures among the paintings by others. I recognised Harid Fedai and Mustafa Gökçeoğlu,
both writers, research writers. Books were laid out by the authors present and
signed. The 2nd President Mehmet Ali Talat came to the reception and
animated conversations were led. I met some young poets from Famagusta I have
not met before, for example Dervişe
Günyyeli-Kutlu and she gave me her poetry book ‘Nefes’, and a book for children
‘Mevlana’s seven advice – seven fairy tales’. I was also presented with a newly
created magazine ‘Kıbrıs Sanat’ the Şiir Sanatı Platform, with contributions by
poets and writers and also music notes and lyrics of Turkish Cypriot songs.
The
purpose of the event is to have a platform where poets, songwriters, composers,
musicians can meet, exchange their motivations and ideas and sort of find each
other: I have the lyrics, have you got the music, or vice versa. But embraced
are all artists to contribute and help preserve the Cypriot Turkish art, music
and way of life.
Within
the framework of the three days meeting was one day of symposium work, speeches
and discussions, and a Song and Lyrics Contest ‘Love and Kyrenia’
I
am looking forward to be informed on the results.