Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's (İBB) Department of Cultural Affairs is breaking new ground again. Artists from around the world will come together for Rohingya Muslims. The International Ethno Music Festival will start at Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. Elegies for civilians slaughtered in Rakhine will be sung in the opening concert of the festival, which will be held for the first time this year. Rohingya Muslims, who were exposed to tragic massacres, forced to migrate and systematically left to die of hunger and illnesses by the Myanmar Government in 2017, still continue to fight for their lives.

The festival will showcase elegies in different languages to draw attention to Rakhine and also to share the pain of other countries where war and massacres still continue.

Famous musicians from in Ireland, France, England and Greece will attend the festival, where 16 artists will perform along with Turkish performers.

The repertoire of the artists will attempt to ease the wounds of war and the common pain of humanity through the universal language of music in their native languages.

Anne-Marie O'Farrell from Ireland, Brendan Power from England, Ross Daly from Greece, Keyvan Chemirani from France and Eytiram Hüseyinov, Elşan Mansurov, Alagha Sediyev and Kamran Karimov from Azerbaijan will meet Istanbulites during the special concert.

Halita, opening concert

During the festival's first concert, which will combine ethnic music and instruments of the East and West, Bora Uymaz, Şirin Pancaroğlu and Tolga Akşit will perform on April 1. "Halita" will transport the audience across borders through improvisational music.

Rakhine, gala concert

Elegies are important in every musical tradition. It is also an indispensable method of social expression in Turkish music. The music will confront death, cruelty and injustice and will be performed for the Rohingya Muslims in this concert. After Emre Oral Burç, Bora Uymaz and Fatma Şahin perform, a folk song composed by Azerbaijani Ehtiram Hüseyinov and Bora Uymaz will be sung. World famous harpist Şirin Pancaroğlu, Tolga Akşit and master bağlama player Muhlis Berberoğlu will also accompany them on April 1.

Traveler tunes from Ireland

On the second day of the festival, Brendan Power and Anne-Marie O'Farrell, two musicians specializing in traditional Irish music, will take the stage. Presenting traditional Irish music, the duo will perform a new tune on April 2.

Tasnif

Tasnif, the other concert scheduled for the second day, will be performed by Murat Aydemir, Ross Daly and Volkan Hürsever. Bringing together three important musicians, the concert is not only part of the project, but also Daly and Yademir's first concert together, despite the fact that they have been creating music together for years. The trio will perform in Istanbul for the first time on April 2.

Bozlak, a scream through the sky

One of the most forceful forms of Turkish folk music, Bozlak guarantees a unique experience on April 3. Fatma Şahin will be accompanied by Muhlis Berberoğlu on bağlama and Keyvan Chemirani on percussion. Fatma Aydoğan and Berberoğlu are two young and talented Bozlak musicians.

Voice of Karabakh

On the last day of the festival, the Voice of Karabakh will take over the hall. Famous figures of Azerbaijani music Aliağa Sadiyev, Elşan Mansurov, Kamran Kerimov and Ehtiram Huseyinov will perform in the concert comprised of their country's traditional music.