Backing the two clarinetists will be NY Gypsy All-Stars, a non-stop party band steeped in the traditions of Turkish and Balkan music but equally fluent in contemporary jazz and dance. The group features clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski (born in Macedonia), bassist Panagiotis Andreou (from Greece), Macedonia native Seido Salifoski (on darbouka and dumbek), Tamer Pinarbasi from Turkey (on qanún), and Turkish drummer (and Berklee College of Music graduate) Engin Gunaydin. Also performing are guitarist/singer/songwriter Emre Yilmaz and the eclectic Brooklyn Funk Essentials. BFE´s 1998 album In the Buzzbag, which also featured Hüsnü Senlendirici and his band Laço Tayfa, is considered an album ahead of its time, a landmark in the fusion of Eastern motifs with funk, reggae, hip-hop, Latin and acid jazz. The Producers Istanbulive is supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of its ongoing efforts to promote Turkey as a destination country and is produced by Serdar Ilhan and Mehmet Dede, veterans of the New York concert scene whose mission is to introduce the music of Turkey to America through events, showcases and educational programs. The producers highlight Istanbul and New York's similarities by bringing together musicians from different backgrounds, including Turkish, Greek and Armenian, to advocate mutual understanding and respect between ethnic cultures, while showcasing the extraordinary virtuosity and diversity found in Turkish music today. « PREVIOUS PAGE