Publisher's Synopsis
"The Rough Guide to the Music of Turkey" takes the listener on a musical journey beyond belly dance and Mevlevi (whirling) dervishes to explore the great wealth of Turkish folk, Gypsy, pop and classical music that has been highly influential in the eastern Mediterranean. The album features Arabesk, Turkey's dominant popular music that can be heard blasting out from taxis and buses across the country. It also features examples from the classical forms of makam (musical scales) and taksim (improvisations) and folk music, which are dominated by the music of the saz (a long-necked lute).
