nightlife

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  A Night on the Town

  Written by Casey on August 2nd, 2010 in Living in Turkey1 Comment
  
  After the last call to prayer sings out from the thousands of mosques at sunset, the fifth and final one for the day, Istanbul starts to wake up. Volume knobs are turned up high as traditional Turkish music blasts alongside modern pop in competition to be heard on the streets. Noses are powdered, shoes are polished, as the youth get ready to party in some of the finest clubs in Europe. There’s no argument that Beyoglu is the main party area in Istanbul. Throw a stone in any direction, and you’re bound to hit a bar. With thousands of restaurants...

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  Rebetiko: The Music Of Izmir and Asia Minor

  Written by Valantis on March 22nd, 2010 in History, I was in Turkey, Living in Turkey, Travel, Turkish Culture2 Comments
  
  Athens, Greece, late 1920s.  The crescent moon hangs over the meyhanes of Athenian ghettos.  They are filled with men smoking their nargile, sipping their coffees and drinking a glass of raki. The small stage in front of them features a small group of bouzouki players, a kanun (santouri) player, accompanied by an oud and dumbek.  A lead singer, female, opens her mouth and delivers the words of pain and sadness, using the makam style of singing, honing in on the traditions of the world they lost in Asia Minor.  This is Rebetiko, also known as the Greek blues. Singers lament...

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