Baba Zula takes us to Turkey for the night

Yesterday afternoon, San Miguel Allende bid farewell to a movie-filled weekend with an outdoor concert. Formed in Istanbul in 1996 and considered one of the most influential alternative bands in Turkey, Baba Zule is a band that mixes traditional Turkish gypsy music with new sounds and genres. Wearing the country’s clothing, the band opened the concert with a calm melody and the soft voice of its female vocalist. Murat Ertel, one of the band’s founders, gave the inaugural thank you speech thanking the Mexican citizens for their care.

“We want to see you dance!” he shouted when he began the evening’s second song and immediately jumped to the stage. He walked among the audience followed by percussion; the assistants could watch the interesting interpretation of the saz, an instrument that is not known in Mexico, up close. Their interpretations were mostly acoustic and once in a while joined by the powerful voice of Murat Ertel. Little by little, the people were transported to Turkey and various groups of young and old people approached the stage to dance to the rhythm of Baba Zula.

Baba Zula was created thanks to a movie, according to Murat, so during the presentation they played several songs from several soundtracks from their native country. They have also participated en several soundtracks for movies, using their most recent composition as the final song of the concert.

Before closing, Murat spoke a little bit about the relationship between Turkey and Mexico which apparently dates back to the Mayans: “Turkey shares so much with Mexico that today we know that both cultures share the same route, the same destiny and the same passion” This will not be Baba Zula’s final concert on Mexican lands, since they’ll be returning to the GIFF stage en Guanajuato City on Thursday July 23 at the Alhondiga de Granaditas.

After Baba Zula, the party continued with Banda Rinconense de Valle de Santiago’s concert. This band starred in one of the Identity and Belonging projects and made more than one person dance. Couples dispersed among the audience got up to dance to the band’s rhythm and note even the charades that walked through the Main Garden could resist the temptation to dance to the beat of the entire group.