 You haven't heard of Muammer Ketencoglu? Well, it's time you had because
he's one of the most extraordinary figures in contemporary Turkish music. Ketencoglu, a Turk from Izmir (Smyrna) is a truly gifted musician, an exceptional virtuoso of the accordion
and an excellent singer,
whose wealth of knowledge of rebetiko surprises the experts. His instrumental
and vocal performances stay true to the authentic style of the genre, even
though he neither reads nor speaks Greek. Evidence of Muammer's knowledge of
and love for rebetiko is his thoughtful participation in the production of
two CDs of rebetika songs - chiefly of the Smyrnaic period - remastered from
old 78 r.p.m. recordings. His leadership role in various musical ventures
reveals that the level and breadth of his musical knowledge are not limited to
rebetiko but also cover wide areas of Balkan music, and, naturally, Turkish
music. Visit his excellent website at: www.muammerketencoglu.com
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