Tarik Bulut and His Ensemble

Artist: Tarik Bulut and His Ensemble

LP: In An Egyptian Garden

Song: "Cifte Telli"

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Now that Egyptians have toppled the corrupt and repressive government of President Hosni Mubarak, it won't be long before the women of Cairo will be found lounging in sensuous abandonment in the city's public gardens, dressed in golden bikinis and eating seedless grapes by the bunches. For info on talented Turkish musician Tarik Bulut, click here.

Gus Vali and His Casbah Ensemble

Artist: Gus Vali and His Casbah Ensemble

LP: All Points East

Song: "Rampee"

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Song: "Misirlou"

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Gus Vali is of Greek heritage, but his terrific 1960 "All Points East" LP whisks listeners away on a musical safari that stops in several exciting locales in the mysteriously exotic near Orient—like Turkey! Track notes for "Rampee" (w/ vocals by Manny Ayvas) and Vali's ponderous interpretation of "Misirlou" are included below, along with LP liner notes by Val Arms in which he calls Gus "fresh." You can find more info on Gus Vali along with a list of his other records on the Hipwax website here.

 

Nese Karaböcek

Artist: Nese Karaböcek

LP: Nese Karaböcek

Song: "Sensiz Kalan Gönlümde"

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Song: "Bir Sevda Geldi Basima"

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Born in Istanbul, Turkey on April Fool's Day in 1947, Nese Karaböcek's career spans nearly 50 years. She's one of the most popular and beloved singers in Turkey, and she's got terrific hair—even if it isn't her own. As you can see for yourself here, the rumor that Nese Karaböcek has been hospitalized in America is totally false! She is actually doing quite well, thank you, currently living in Turkey and resembling Bette Midler. You can read more about Nece Karaböcek in Turkish on Wikipedia here. Sadly, Google's English translation of the page is rather garbled, listing the singer's name as "Joy Roach," for one thing. Here's a neat old Nese Karaböcek YouTube video from the '70s and some more pictures from the back and inside of her LP:

Nese Karaböcek on YouTube:

[ "Kemanci" ]

Adja Pekkan

Artist: Adja Pekkan

LP: 7" single
Song: "A Mes Amours"
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It's 46°F and raining in Seattle this morning and I'm groggy. Here's some overblown Turkish pop from 1977—sung in French. I found a brief and laudatory biography of Adja Pekkan here. Throughout her illustrious career, she's released albums titled "Superstar," "Superstar 2," "Superstar '83" and "Superstar '87." The power of positive thinking?

Gülistan Okan

Artist: Gülistan Okan

LP: 7" single
Song: "Kanim Kaynadi Sana"
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Here's a little 1976 disco-ish treat from Turkey.