Trakya Dance Party

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Trakya Dance Party

A master percussionist with fingers that fly at the speed of sound, Burhan Öçal reunites with his Roman (Turkish Roma) musician friends, the Trakya All Stars, to bring Balkan music to life on “Trakya Dance Party”. Percussion and wind instruments suffuse the album with a full, rich Thrace sound, heightened by French-Tunisian musician Smadj in the mixing process.

1 About
- 1.1 Tracks
- 1.2 Credits
2 Shop
3 Trivia
4 Reviews
5 External Links

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About

“For me, music has always served as a way to find myself and understand my past. I set out to discover something universal by using something deeply familiar - the music of my people - as my launching pad. ” says Burhan Öçal, who employs the talented French-Tunisian musician turned mix-master Smadj to take the upbeat Roman melodies and anonymous Thracian and Balkan works to reveal delightful outcomes.

Tunisian born French musician and producer Smadj, who worked his magic on “Kırklareli İl Sınırı”, reprises his role as recording and sound engineer. Smadj, highly respected for his knowledge of oriental music and digital technologies, knows no boundaries when it comes to finding new ways to fuse Burhan Öçal’s musical stylings with his own arrangements and electronic sounds. The pair work together to send traditional Roman melodies produced by the Trakya All-Stars out for the world to enjoy.

As descendents of Roman citizens who emigrated from Thessalonika to Thrace during the 1950s, the Trakya All-Stars inherited the melodies and musical traditions their forebearers accumulated throughout their travels. Combine this rich musical heritage with the unique geographic location of Thrace—Turkey’s gateway to the Balkans and Europe—and the result is a cross-pollinated sound that is indigenous to this region.

While the previous album focused in on the virtuosity of musicians plucked from obscurity, “Trakya Dance Party” is filled with infectious vocals that will make the listener want to break out in song and sing along. The album also features four original compositions and playful vocal arrangements sung in large part by “Kırklareli İl Sınırı” alumni Yüksel. The Trakya All-Stars keep things all in the family with the addition of one new member—Yüksel’s 14 year-old niece Burcu, whose rich and evocative voice conveys a youthful energy and a wisdom well beyond her years.

“Trakya Dance Party” invites listeners curious about Roman culture into a vibrant world of what life is like in the Thrace region of Turkey through the stories related in the text of the songs. “Kaynana” is the tale of a bride-to-be, while in “Kayınço” a man reproaches his perennially intoxicated brother-in-law. “Zigoş” features a Turkish man named Abidin and a Greek man named Gurgule who engage in verbal volley while fighting over the object of their mutual affection, a Turkish girl. The song “Bas Kızanım” illustrates the musical battles, sparring, and jamming that are characteristic of special occasions such as Roman weddings, while “Sülo” offers scenes from Roman daily life.

Colourful, energetic, upbeat, fun, and full of surprises...

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Tracks

Track	Title	English	Duration
1	Kara Çalı	The Intruder	04:00
2	Karabiber	Black Beauty	03:46
3	Kayınço	Brother-in-Law	04:46
4	Opaz	-	05:15
5	Hovarda Mustafa	The Pleasure Seeker	03:07
6	Sülo	Hanging with Sülo	03:04
7	Şüpheli Aşk	Haze of Love	01:34
8	Zigoş	Zigosh	02:59
9	Limoncu	The Lemon Seller	05:03
10	Isırgan Otu	The Stinging Nettle	04:38
11	Smadj’la Sohbet	Conversations with Smadj	02:23
12	Opaz (Smadj Mix)	-	05:19