Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Sen on Sunday evening hosted a classical Turkish music concert at his residence in Cairo to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic and 500th anniversary of the foreign service.
Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Abbas Helmy, actress Youssra, foreign diplomats and VIPs attended the two-hour event.
Classical Turkish music was developed during the Ottoman period and started with Ottoman composer Ismail Dede Efendi (1778-1846). It is mostly used in the rites of Mawlawiyya (Sufi order that originated in Konya).
Some sources said that classical Turkish music has 498 or 590 music maqam. However, about 80 maqam are present today.
The concert was performed by Egyptian musicians, who played 19 compositions such as ‘Your Lips Resemble Red Buds’ by Turkish classical and Sufi music composer Amir Ates (1942), ‘I have Lost Yusuf in Kenaan Country’ by Suphi Ziya Bey (1887-1966), who was one of the last composers in the classical style of Turkish music.
They also performed ‘Nihavend Longa’ by violin teacher and pianist Kevser Hanim (1881-1950) and ‘Since Istanbul Became Istanbul’ by Turkish singer, lyricist and composer Sezen Aksu (1954).
Ambassador Multu Sen sang ‘Hey, Girl’ composed by Cihangir Cihangirov (1921-1992), one of the most famous opera composers in Azerbaijan.
