If you like Ethno Jazz and music combines new and old, you would like Mode Plagal. It is a group from our neighbor Greece. They perform traditional Greek music fused with Jazz, Funk and the other genres. I like Ethno Jazz genre that it make us meet different cultures music and instruments with modern elements. It must be separated from Ethnic Music definitely. Ethnic Music only targets fans or people who enjoy hearing ethnic melodies. Many people could think that it is a boring music, although it is not. Ethno Jazz’s target is a bit larger by using traditional elements with modern items. It is also good way to make people like jazz. I like Greek traditional music that to hear it in the jazz forms made me feel very good.
Athens based group Mode Plagal was founded in 1990. Their first two albums are instrumental albums that you could hear traditional music in jazz and funk forms. They added vocal to their music in the third album. They have another album that I would like to talk about it. They made an album with Turkish musicians. It is the perfect fusion of Turkish and Greek music with modern elements. Mode Plagal had collaborations with many artist and performers and they joined countless festivals and organizations. I also suggest you to see their live performance.
The band has five studio albums.
- Mode Plagal (1995)
- Mode Plagal II (1998)
- Mode Plagal III (2001)
- Beyond the Bosphorus (2003)
- In The Belly Of The Beast (2010)
Although their all albums are suggested highly, I would like to talk about their album Beyond the Bosphorus. The album recorded with Turkish ethno jazz band Bosphorus Project in Athens and Istanbul. I wrote an article about Turkish ethno jazz project Hijazz. Click here to read it. You meet with Turkish Classical Music in Jazz forms. Bosphorus Project is a jazz band blends Turkish traditional music with modern jazz. The band also includes some musicians from Hijazz Project. Mode Plagal members met with them and decided to make an album together. Finally, they made a perfect ethno jazz album.
You could find Turkish and Greek traditional melodies with modern jazz elements. Mode Plagal and Bosphorus Project made a masterpiece album that all world music fans should buy it. Although some of the songs are traditional songs, you could also hear some modern songs. I could say some of their songs are highly psychedelic. Beyond the Bosphorus is highly appreciated album that it attracts your feelings. You could hear well-arranged songs with a perfect female vocal. Ey Zahit, For Sappho, Itinerary, Shuttle Boats, Tatavla and The Tumult of Torrents are appreciated songs in the album.
Mode Plagal is an exciting ethno jazz band from Greece. Their music connects old and new, east and west, traditional and modern. Visit their website to listen some of their song and watch their live performance videos.
http://www.modeplagal.gr/index_EN.htm
Bye for now!
Mercan Dede, also known as DJ Arkin Allen is musician who is a DJ, composer, Nay and Bendir performer. He is highly appreciated musician that he connects east and west, he combines new and old. If you have never heard Mercan Dede, read this article carefully, and get to know how eastern music fascinates people with the western elements. Mercan Dede is a Turkish world music performer that he performs Sufism oriented Turkish music with electronic music elements. It is not a kind of electronic music that contains some DJ absurdity for dance. His music is polyphonic, instrumental based, and trance rhythm oriented music influenced by Sufism. Although Sufism is a specific and local concept, his music carries the concept to global stage of world music. You could listen to his songs’ previews from his official website. You could find link at the end of the article. 
Sufi Dreams (1998) is one of my favorite albums that he combined old and new with east and west elements. It is extremely recommended album. It could be good for beginning. There is a nice Hederlezi Balkan traditional song cover in Sufi way. 
Come, come, whoever you are, 
Everybody knows more about jazz. Let’s get closely acquainted with Turkish Classical Music and let’s see how Turkish Music makes Jazz interesting and likeable. Turkish Classical Music consists of various forms, notations and scales known as Makam. Actually Hijazz name is a word game comes from Hedjaz Makam. A wide range of instruments such as oud, the qanun, tanbur, nay, kemenche, double drum are used in the music. I don’t write all instruments in Turkish Classical Music, otherwise this article will be extremely long. Some western style of instruments like violin, cello, harp, clarinet, and flute are used too. 
CD1 
Let’s see those three songs and their sections.
The group was founded on 2001 to merge Western and Eastern music with some traditional Turkish instruments. Their music combines the sound of violin and electric guitar with the Dombra. It is a traditional two stringed instrument from middle Asia which made by the old Turkish civilizations in Middle Asia. 
Track list of the album is given below. 
I would like to introduce some songs from the album. Many of them are Turkish Folk songs originally. Istanbul Twilight is a classic funk song combined with jazz and Turkish traditional music. It is very funny and fluent song. It is extremely suggested song that you can understand the album’s musical structure. Following songs Magick Karpet Ride, In The Buzz Bag, Selling Out, and Freeway To Uskudar are traditional Turkish songs well known in Turkey. Definitely, Funk and Jazz elements are interspersed into the music successfully. Ska Ka-Bop is a funny ska song. Ska is a funny music but, Turkish instruments make a ska song funnier. And, the final song of the album Zurna Preserve is totally traditional arranged song. Zurna means a traditional Turkish wind instrument.
The group released new album in 1993. The album’s name is Trail Blazer. I can say, it’s the first milestone of Turkish Heavy Metal. Although, album’s sound, riffs, musicality is a bit poor, it was a milestone. There weren’t any band made the music in this way. When I listen this album, I see that sound is primitive. But, in those years, it was an unbelievable album. At least you should listen, Secret Missile, Fly Forever, Living on Lies and Vita Es Morte songs from video sharing websites. East melodies and heavy metal was blended in this album. It was primitive, but it was a good signal for future creation.
