Istanbul Oriental Ensemble

Formed in Turkey in 1991 by multi-instrumentalist Burhan Öçal, the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble has kept to its original goal of recreating the feel and styles of specifically Turkish and Thracian gypsy music. The Ensemble, with two percussionists, relies on the traditional lineup of clarinet, kanun (zither), oud, and violin for its melodies. Growing up in the village of Kirkareli, some 100 kilometers outside Istanbul, Öçal was exposed to gypsy music from an early age, and became a true convert to the sound when a gypsy group played at his circumcision ceremony when he was six y...