Ottawa Turkish Festival 2011

All events are free of charge

  Print version

Demonstration Times in Permanent Exhibits

• Wooden Spoon Making (1:45 pm, 3:45 pm, 5:45 pm, 7:45 pm)
• Turkish Calligraphy (2:45 pm, 4:45pm, 6:45 pm, 8:45pm)
• Water Marbling – Ebru (2:15 pm, 4:15 pm , 6:15 pm, 8:15 pm)

Whirling Dervishes of Rumi
They perform their praise of God in the form of a “dance” and music ceremony called the Sema, which involves the whirling from which the order acquired its nickname. The Sema represents a mystical journey of man’s spiritual ascent through mind and love to “Perfect”. Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth and arrives at the “Perfect”. He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation. The Sema was practised in the semahane (ritual hall) according to a precisely prescribed symbolic ritual with the dervishes whirling in a circle around their sheikh, who is the only one circling around his axis. The Sema is performed by spinning on the right foot. The dervishes wear a white gown (symbol of death), a wide black cloak (symbol of the grave) and a high brown cap (symbol of the tombstone).

Murat Toy
A Festival classic, Toronto Turkish singer Murat Toy will be performing Turkish Pop, Folk, Classical, Fantasy and Arabesque songs. Murat has published three albums to date and is a popular invitee to celebratory events.

Anatolian Sun Quartet
Anatolian Sun Quartet is a very well-known international music ensemble which combines universal instrument techniques and authentic values through modern arrangements with the local expressions, by the touch of a gentle harmony. Anatolian Sun reflects the colours of the culture with great mastery, leaves an exceptional feeling together with a fine musical taste on the audience with the combination of Turkish and Western Instruments. One of the most important features of Anatolian Sun Quartet is creating a synthesis of Turkish folk music and universal style without distorting authenticity or the essence of local melodies. The aim of the ensemble is to present traditional Turkish folk music in the context of a modern world, meaning that a whole host of influences, especially from Mediterranean regions, are involved in its music. The pieces performed by the group are considered as impressive and elegant embroidery composed by the virtuosi. Established under the auspices of Abant İzzet Baysal University in 2003 thanks to the initiative of Professor Uğur Alpagut and Kemal Bilsel Sarısözen, the Anatolian Sun Quartet combines authentic music with universal melodies and instruments. Alpagut plays the violin, Kaya Güç the piano, Fahrettin Ünal the clarinet, Yalçın Duran Baygın the percussion and Hasan Özçırpan the “bağlama,” a type of Turkish stringed instrument. Deniz Yener Kekeç is the vocalist of the band.

Turkish Youth Folk Dance and Music Ensemble
The Youth Folk Dance and Music Ensemble is supported by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism – General Directorate of Fine Arts. The Ensemble will be traveling all the way from Turkey to Ottawa to perform at the Ottawa Turkish Festival, providing festival attendees and cultural tourists with a rare opportunity to see genuine Turkish folk dance performed live. The Ensemble performs the traditional dances of Turkey and represents traditional Turkish arts and culture through its traditional dances and its vibrant colours, costumes, and folk instruments. The rich culture of Anatolia, an important part of the folk music and authentic folk dance forms of our natural environment, is compiled from research conducted by the Ministry of Culture Authority. The Ensemble has gained international acclaim by performing both domestically and internationally, including performances in Japan, Korea, Greece, and many European countries. They will feature dances from the Thrace, Marmara, Black Sea, Aegean, Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, South Eastern Anatolia regions and not to mention the Whirling Dervishes of Rumi.

Bulgarian Folk Dance Group Rodina
The rich Bulgarian folklore is the source for the group’s repertoire. It includes dances and songs from different ethnographic regions of Bulgaria: the playfulness of Misia, the swift as the wind rhythms of Shopluka, the passionate warm-heartedness of sunny Thrace, and the romantic rebel spirit of the Pirin Mountains.

Polish Dance Group Vistula
The Polish Theater Group is a nonprofit organization established in 1953 in Ottawa. The Group strives to preserve and promote Polish Culture and Heritage through concerts and performances. The group has performed over 200 public shows in Ontario and Quebec. Now, the Polish dance Group “Vistula” the section of the Polish Theater under the direction of Ms. Stefania Baraniak has the honor of performing at the Turkish Festival.

Djerdan Bosnian Folk Dance Group
Djerdan is a Bosnian community dance group created in May of 2007. It has 24 members, ages 17 to 59. As of February 2009, the organization also has a juniors/children’s folk-group, which has 12 members.

Izvorul Romanian Dance Troupe of Ottawa
Izvorul Romanian Dance Troupe of Ottawa was founded in March 2010 by Sandra Cocea. The Troupe quickly became a fast-growing pillar in the Romanian community of Ottawa-Gatineau, showcasing Romanian culture and talent while promoting multiculturalism. The Troupe offers to its members the opportunity to learn, practice and interpret on stage Romanian Folkloric dances and welcomes members of all ages and nationalities. The RDTO currently has over 25 active and dedicated members who will delight you with a taste of the Romanian art and culture.

Ottawa Saz Group
Saz is also referred to as Bağlama in Turkish. It would not be wrong to say that if a single instrument were to represent Turkish folk music it would have to be the baglama. The baglama was developed from another instrument called the kopuz, which is also used today. There are different kinds of baglama, like the çögür, cura, divan, tambura and kopuz. The kopuz, also a stringed instrument, was used in Central Asia by Turkish tribes about two thousand years ago and is mentioned in the tales of Dede Korkut (a sage, the mentor of the Turkish Oguz tribe who narrates moralistic epic tales to a chieftain of the tribes). We come across the belief among the shamanist Turks that a warrior with a kopuz at his waist was protected in battle from injury at enemy hands. Turkish strolling minstrels brought the baglama to Anatolia and in fact, everyone knew how to play this instrument. The baglama is so-to-say a friend of the minstrels who at certain times of the year gather at contests and song festivals. Accompanied by music, repartee between the contestants is sometimes satirical, sometimes filled with irony but never insulting and is fun to listen to. Musicians: Mr. Ibrahim Ozer and Mr. Hasan Aydar

Robert Reynolds
Hailing from South-western Ontario, Robert is a singer-songwriter. The music is classic folk and the lyrics are meaningful and moving with a politically personal bite. Robert has performed in the coffeehouse and university and bar circuits across Ontario and throughout the eastern seaboard of the United States. Over the years has performed at “The Bitter End”, “Rock and Roll Café” and “Kenny’s Castaways” in Greenwich Village, New York. Also an actor, Robert has been performing on stage and in film for years. This gives a seasoned quality to Robert’s performance and writing which has been described as “evoking powerful emotional and intellectual responses”.

Water Marbling (Ebru)
Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to marble or other stone, hence the name. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then carefully transferred to a sheet of paper (or other surfaces such as fabric). This decorative material has been used to cover a variety of surfaces for several centuries. It is often employed as a writing surface for calligraphy, and especially book covers and endpapers in bookbinding and stationery. Part of its appeal is that each print is a unique monotype. Artist: Ms. Seydanur Celebi

Turkish Calligraphy
Turkish Calligraphy, basically, is the writing of Latin letters applied within the esthetics of Calligraphy, which has received interest to a certain degree in the last 30 years. The scribes usually display their skills at fairs and exhibitions as they produce works of Calligraphy in a few seconds without any template, in the presence of visitors with customized on-demand applications. The Admirers of this art ask the scribe to write a person’s name, the name of a company, or beautiful saying on cards, key rings, plates and tablets to use as ornaments of gifts. Artist: Mr. Sadik Gezer

Turkish Wooden Spoon Making
During leisure time in the winter, after work is finished in the village, the parts of cut logs which are knot-free are cut into sections with a saw (similar to a saddler’s knife) which spans from 15-20 cm length. These are then vertically cut with an adz either in half or in several places depending on the thickness of the wood and made into thinner pieces. If, for one reason or another, the blocks are not to be carved immediately, they are placed in a “spoon well” to preserve their moisture. The “well” is dug is a small pit some 50 to 60 centimeters deep and two meters in length. It has a wooden cover. If the blocks have dried when they are removed from the pit, they are moistened again before being carved. This process is repeated frequently and if necessary throughout the spoon-making procedure. Artist: Mr. Ibrahim Esentepe

Henna
Henna or Hina (Lawsonia inermis) is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes. Additionally, the name is misused for other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna or neutral henna, which do not derive from the plant. Artist: Ms. Shameena Begum

Ottawa Turkish Festival 2011 Events

 All events are free of charge, except for the Anatolian Night Concert

  Print version

Event	Date	Time	Place
Flag Raising Ceremony	July 15	4 pm – 5 pm	Ottawa Police Headquarters474 Elgin Street
Festival Information Booth	July 16	9:30 am – 6 pm	Rideau Centre1st floor level, Centre Court (in between Epochs and Fruits & Passion)
Turkish Language Classes	July 17	Noon – 2 pm	Northern Lights Educational Services26 Thorncliff Place
Documentary of Şeb-i Arûs (Whirling Dervishes Ceremony)	July 18	6 pm – 8 pm	Ottawa Public Library – Main Branch120 Metcalfe Street
Turkish Movie with English subtitlesBABAM VE OĞLUM (My Father and My Son)	July 19	6 pm – 8 pm	Ottawa Public Library – Main Branch120 Metcalfe Street
BABAM VE OĞLUM (My Father and My Son)Babam ve Oğlum is a 2005 Turkish film written and directed by Çağan Irmak. In Turkey, the movie was seen by four million cinemagoers in spring 2005 becoming one of the most successful movies in Turkish box-office history. In order to study journalism at Istanbul University, Sadık leaves his village on the Aegean coast. This angers his father, Hüseyin, who wants him to study Agricultural Engineering so he can manage the family farm. During his years at university Sadık becomes politically active. Upon learning about Sadik’s behavior, Hüseyin disowns him. However worse days are ahead for Sadik. In the early hours of the morning on September 12, 1980 Sadık’s pregnant wife starts having contractions. The couple runs outside, but they can’t find anyone to take them to the hospital. The country has been taken over in a military coup. Sadık’s wife gives birth in a park and dies, but their son, Deniz, lives. Because of his political activities, Sadık is arrested, tortured, and imprisoned for three years during which time he loses his health. A few years after being released, he finds out that he will die. Having no other choice, he takes Deniz back to his family farm on the Aegean into the care of his mother and his father, who still does not speak to him. For Deniz, who is absorbed in the magical world of comic books, meeting his relatives on the farm is a new experience. There is his grandmother (Hümeyra Akbay) who drives a tractor and speaks on a short wave radio, his aunt Hanife (Binnur Kaya) who wears bracelets from her wrist all the way to her shoulder, and his uncle (Yetkin Dikinciler) who is a little naive. There is trouble in store, however, for Sadık and Hüseyin who must come to terms with their past and each other. Sadık also needs to face his first love, now married with two children, and the question of old friends. However his sickness takes over and Sadık passes away. His parents take over the responsibility of Deniz who comes into term with his father’s loss. Source: www.babamveoglum.com
Turkish Cooking Class	July 19	6 pm – 8 pm	Northern Lights Educational Services26 Thorncliff Place
Turkish Ebru Demonstration	July 20	6 pm – 8 pm	Northern Lights Educational Services26 Thorncliff Place
Turkish Movie with English subtitlesBEYAZ MELEK (White Angel)	July 21	6 pm – 8 pm	Ottawa Public Library – Main Branch120 Metcalfe Street
BEYAZ MELEK (White Angel)The story of “White Angel” tells us the universal, ever-lasting drama of “old age” based on a social background where the director is aiming to reflect the brotherhood of the Turkish and the Kurdish people living in the south-east of Turkiye. Mala Ahmet, the old leader of  a kurdish tribe is suffering from cancer.  While running away from the compulsory chemo-therapy in the hospital he suddenly finds himself in a nursery home where he is confronted with a different but cruel culture of life:  The old people are left alone to their destiny while they wait for their death to come, whereas  old people of his own village in the south-east,  are treated with utmost care and tenderness by their relatives. Mala Ahmet, together with his two sons, Reşat and Ali, invites this group of abandoned old people to his village to host them there with  special care at the end of their lives.  This journey becomes  a journey into the heart of the country and the people… A touching debut film by the talented musician Mahsun Kırmızıgül with outstanding performances of the actors of  Turkish  theater. Source: www.beyazmelekfilm.com
Turkish Parade	July 22	Noon – 1 pm	Sparks Street Mall(between Metcalfe and O’Connor)
Festival Opening Gala	July 22	5 pm – 7 pm	Ottawa City Hall110 Laurier Avenue West
Anatolian Night ConcertPerformances by: Anatolian Sun Quartet Turkish Folk Dance Group Whirling Dervishes of Rumi	July 22	8 pm – 10 pm	Kailash Mital Theatre Southam Hall Carleton University 1125 Colonel By Drive Ticket Prices
Anatolian Sun Quartet Anatolian Sun Quartet is a very well-known international music ensemble which combines universal instrument techniques and authentic values through modern arrangements with the local expressions, by the touch of a gentle harmony. Anatolian Sun reflects the colours of the culture with great mastery, leaves an exceptional feeling together with a fine musical taste on the audience with the combination of Turkish and Western Instruments. One of the most important features of Anatolian Sun Quartet is creating a synthesis of Turkish folk music and universal style without distorting authenticity or the essence of local melodies. The aim of the ensemble is to present traditional Turkish folk music in the context of a modern world, meaning that a whole host of influences, especially from Mediterranean regions, are involved in its music. The pieces performed by the group are considered as impressive and elegant embroidery composed by the virtuosi.Turkish Folk Dance The unusual wealth and variety of Turkish folk music and dance attracts the attention of people from all over the world. Many of the melodies and movements have very ancient origins stemming from the many different aspects of Turkish culture that form the background of modern Turkey. Every district has its own local tunes, songs and dances. There is some special song or dance for every event of rural life which represents a birth or a wedding, sowing the field and harvesting the crops or leading the flocks to water. Some of the songs and dances have to do with a particular craft or work; some have fertility or good luck as a theme, while others express the timeless feelings of a man, joy and sadness, the longing of an exile for his home and homeland, love and affection for the beloved. The instruments played are still mainly traditional and again vary from region to region. They are made by local craftsmen of great skill from locally obtained materials. One of these the “saz” with its wide range, may be considered the earliest form of the Western lute. Turkey has been the birthplace and bridge for many civilizations and has thus inherited a very rich tradition of folklore. Each region has its own dance and costumes. As in every branch of folklore, the mimic and motions in the dances portray the soul and character of the Turkish people. The feelings are reflected in their handcrafts, the beautiful head scarves, handbags, crochet work, hand woven carpets and kilims where each motif has a special meaning. One is left with an impression of harmony and fluency in the motion of the figures and the colourful flowing costumes.Whirling Dervishes of Rumi The Sema (Whirling Dervishes Ceremony) is the inspiration of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi (1207 – 1273) as well as part of the Turkish culture, belief and history in Konya. It symbolizes the different meanings of a mystic cycle to perfection (Ascension – Mirac). Contemporary science definitely confirms that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve. There is no object, no being which does not revolve. Everything whirls and human, a whirling dervish, carries on his life, his very existence by means of the revolution in the atoms, structural elements in his body, by the circulation of his blood, by his coming from the Earth and return to it, by his revolving with the Earth itself. The Sema represents a mystical journey of man’s spiritual ascent through love, finding the truth and arriving to the “Perfect”. Then he returns from this spiritual journey as a man who reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole creation, to all creatures without discriminating in regard to belief, class, or race. The dervish with his hat (his ego’s tombstone), and his white skirt (his ego’s shroud) is spiritually born to the truth. When he removes his black cloak, he journeys and advances to the spiritual maturity through the stages of the Sema. At the beginning and each stage of the Sema holding his arms crosswise he represents number one, and testifies to God’s unity. While whirling his arms are open, his right hand directed to the sky ready to receive God’s beneficence, gazing his left hand turned toward the earth for giving what he received to the poor, he turns from right to left, pivoting around the heart. This is his way of conveying God’s spiritual gift to the people upon whom God “looks with a Divine” watchfulness. Revolving around the heart, from right to left, he embraces all of humankind, all the creation with affection and love.
Festival Grounds	July 23 & 24	Noon – 9 pm	Confederation ParkCorner of Laurier & Elgin St.

What to expect on Festival Grounds?