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Turkish
musician Latif Bolat performs at Villanova
Caitlin Collins ’05
On Feb. 12, students, faculty and community members gathered
in a lecture hall in Bartley for a very distinctive performance. Turkish
singer, composer and scholar of Turkish music and folklore, Latif Bolat,
performed for two hours.
One of the best known Turkish musicians in the United States, Latif Bolat
was invited to perform at Villanova by the Center for Arab and Islamic
Studies. He began the evening by explaining some aspects of Turkish culture.
Bolat said that the music he performs is related to the Islamic religion.
Throughout the course of the recital Bolat correlated the history of Turkey
with its philosophy of mysticism. He explained to the audience that his
music was rooted in mysticism that attempts to help listeners understand
other philosophical concepts such as why life exists.
Bolat charmed his audience by performing various devotional Sufi songs.
He read poetry in English written by various Turkish poets including Rumi
and Yunus Emre. Following each poem he sang and played a string instrument
called the saz, the Turkish national instrument. Accompanying him was
Gerardo Razumney, a skilled drummer.
Near the conclusion of his performance, he answered questions from members
of the audience, giving further insight into his music and his people.
A slideshow of the Turkish people and their land were shown as Bolat and
Razumeny played their last song to conclude the evening.
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