Producer Judith Sherman was nominated for the 64th Grammy Awards with the “Dances of The Yogurt Maker” album, comprising pieces by Turkish composer Erberk Eryılmaz.
The album, which brought Grammy nomination to Sherman in the category of "Producer of the Year," consists of melodies prepared by Eryılmaz with inspiration from the folk music of many regions of Anatolia such as Silifke, Thrace, Aegean and Antakya. Eryılmaz used Turkish instruments such as wooden spoons, drums and darbukas in the production of his compositions.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Eryılmaz, who is also an academician at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University’s Faculty of Performing Arts, said that he received his first musical training at the Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory. He then went to the United States and pursued musical studies at the Hartt School, Carnegie Mellon and Rice Universities.
Noting that the educational system in the U.S. aims to train researcher musicians, Eryılmaz added: “Authenticity is the most important element there. A musician must be authentic in order to have a place in the music history.”
Eryılmaz is interested in the folk music of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. During his time in the U.S., he tried to learn and play the melodies of these regions, which affected the rest of his career in composition.
Eryılmaz said that he organized five Turkish music festivals with Hoppa Project in the U.S. In these festivals, they performed Turkish folk, classical and contemporary music concerts and held seminars and exhibitions.
Informing about Sherman’s "Dances of the Yogurt Maker," Eryılmaz said that they produced the album together with Carpe Diem String Quartet last year. At his own valuation, he accompanied the quartet by playing piano, wooden spoons, drum and darbuka.
Eryılmaz implied that the album both reflects his own musical taste and serves as a product of the interaction of Turkish folk music and different cultures in Turkey.
Stating that producer Sherman has previously won 11 Grammys, Eryılmaz continued: “She has been nominated for the award of Producer of the Year with our album. We got so excited."
"Sherman is a legendary producer. When she came to the recording session of our album, she knew the six works in the album in depth and directed the musicians in the best way. To witness her musical perspective was a great experience for me.”
Eryılmaz said that the team of the album is looking forward to the 2022 Grammy Awards. The ceremony was scheduled for Jan. 31 in Los Angeles with a live audience and performances. However, it was recently postponed by its organizers due to the omicron variant. A new date is yet to be announced.
