Estrada - On the road to success
In 2014, the Estrada Fado Group presented its multicultural instrumental concept for the first time in Neuss. Portuguese fado, the ‘blues’ of Lisbon, was performed by professional musicians from Turkey, the Lower Rhine region and the group's mastermind, Luis Filipe Delgado from Lisbon. At the heart of the emotionally charged melodies is the bağlama (saz) as the main melodic instrument. A typical Arabic instrument, it plays a central role in Turkish music, whether folk, pop or classical.
In the beginning, this mixture of instruments, but also the origin of the musicians, was viewed very critically by fado purists. Traditionally, fado from Portugal is carried out into the world by Portuguese people. And now fado from the Lower Rhine?
Hardly a concert has passed without the musicians being celebrated and honoured by the consulates of Turkey and Portugal, not only for their concept of cultural understanding between peoples, but above all for their integrative contribution at the highest musical level.
Luis Filipe Delgado Batista
In 1977, Luis Filipe Delgado and his brother founded the band ‘Os Atlanticos’, which still tours throughout Europe today and enjoys success beyond Portugal's borders.
Now the idea arose to start a special kind of fado project. Musicians were found who enthusiastically embraced this unique multicultural project.
Serdar Yayla
born in Ankara, Turkey, he had his first experience with the bağlama at the age of eight and began his career as a professional musician at 16.
He accompanied Misirli Ahmet (Ahmet the Egyptian) on the bağlama in a concert in Istanbul, as well as Indian world musician Roda Crishna and other well-known artists such as Musa Eroglu, Ibrahim Tatlises, Burhan Cacan, Sabahat Akkiraz, Belkis Akkaya, Kamil Sönmez, Izzet Yildizhan, Ismail Mersinli, Tutul San and Güler Duman, as well as the Turkish Chamber Orchestra.
Thomas Hanz
is a guitarist, composer, music teacher and festival organiser. Classically trained, but also passionate about other styles – such as jazz and world music – he completed his studies (Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Hanover and Cologne Music Academies) with Roberto Aussel, graduating with a concert exam.
The ‘Gitarrenfestival Ruhr’ (Ruhr Guitar Festival), founded by Hanz in 2005, has since established itself as a concert festival in the cultural ‘hotbed’ of the Ruhr region.
References to media reports