Turkish Musician to Perform Ancient Folk Music

VALDOSTA - The VSU Philosophy and Religious Studies Club invites the public to attend two free musical performances by Turkish musician Latif Bolat, who is known throughout the world for recapturing 13th Century folk and mystic music.
Bolat will weave poetry and song together with sounds from the baglama - a traditional Turkish stringed instrument - at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Hugh C. Bailey Science Center auditorium (room 1011) and at 5 p.m. Friday at Hildegard’s Café and Bookstore, 101 E. Central Ave., in Valdosta.

Thursday’s performance, “The Sufi Music of Latif Bolat,” will feature songs, poetry and visual slides depicting Turkish life as the famed storyteller shares his homeland’s history, culture, religion and music.
Bolat will showcase acoustic sounds of ancient Turkish mystic-devotional music using various traditional instruments during Friday’s concert downtown at Hildegard’s.

In addition to traveling the world to speak at universities and perform, Bolat co-authored a poetry translation book, "Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey," with poet Jennifer Ferraro in January 2007. He also produced the soundtracks for George Lucas Studios’ television series “Young Indiana Jones” and the PBS documentary, “Mohammad: Legacy of a Prophet.”

For more information, call Dr. Cristóbal Serrán-Pagán, faculty advisor for the Philosophy and Religious Studies Club, at (229) 333-5975 or e-mail him at cserranpagan@valdosta.edu.