copyright Tangents 2008
Tangents Turkey Music Tour May/June, 2009
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Tangents Music Tour Update
The 2008 Tangents Turkey Music Tour is history yet the glow from this trip is firmly intact. It was so joyous that we will try to produce two tours in 2009. One likely from May 3 until May 19. A second would start late May and last for about 16 nights. If you would like to learn more email tangentsturkeytour@gmail.com.
There are many factors that combine for a terrific experience. Among the most important are group camaraderie, concerts and the Turkish people. The term "Turkish Hospitality" was coined for a reason. Turks, including all the ethnic minorities, are the friendliest and most welcoming folks I have encountered in my travels. No matter how much this is emphasized prior to our trip, the experience of meeting such a warm people deeply touches folks on the Tangents tour.
2008 Tangential tour member Robin put it this way:
"I can't tell you how often my American friends have expressed sentiments about how 'dangerous' a trip to a Muslim country is, or how I should expect hostile reactions to my being an American. The truth based on my experience in
"The whole two weeks we were there, we met with nothing but friendliness, generosity, and hospitality. I met Muslim women at a mosque who could only speak a couple of words of English but insisted I take their picture, an electronics salesman who walked a half dozen blocks from his store with us trying to help us find an internet cafe in a small town, little children who wanted to pose with us, a school girl who spontaneously kissed Maricor on the cheeks, rug salesmen that were hungry to talk politics, and many people who didn't speak English but whose smiles and gestures told me everything I needed to know."
(Robin's website with photos can be accessed at http://ethicalarts.org/turkey.htm.)
This year's group was tightly knit. They genuinely cared for and supported each other. It's beautiful to lead a group like this and see friendships emerge. Check the testimonial link for comments from Tangents music tour travelers.
What makes the Tangents Turkey Music Tour unique is the breath and diversity of the music. I have developed an expanding network of artists, club owners, managers/agents and record label folks. The 2008 tour featured 10 concerts in 16 nights. There was a Roma (Gypsy) music festival, a triple bill concert including famed Alevi folk singer Sabahat Akkiraz, an intimate encounter at legendary percussionist Okay Temiz's studio, a concert in a 2000 year old cave church in
In a world filled with government and media fed misperceptions, it is more important than ever to experience other cultures first hand.
I'll leave it to Mark Twain to get in the last word:
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."
peace,
Dore