From Anatolia, From the Heart: Bridging East and West, Neotolia’s Originals Spring from Mediterranean Traditions, Turkish Folk Songs, and Jazz Forms

At the meeting point of Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and the Mediterranean - a region steeped in thousands of years of rich, complex human history - is a land where antiquity and the deep, artistic wells of innumerable cultures mix with the modern world. The earth here feels older than time itself: dripping with stories of spice, civilization, conquest, and our shared human journey; tinged with the golden light of the eastern sunrise. This is Anatolia.

This meeting of worlds is the inspiration for Neotolia - an international ensemble of diverse, highly skilled musicians led by composer & pianist Utar Artun and singer/songwriter Nazan Nihal, both from Turkey. Together, their vision is to bring rare and traditional aspects of Turkish music and aesthetics to new life by fusing it with contemporary jazz, world music, improvisation, and microtonal theory. The result is a quintessentially Turkish sound mixed with cutting-edge groove. It is a new (“neo-“) vision of Anatolia: with one ear towards home and the other listening far outward. Thus, Artun and Nihal have enlisted musicians and friends from the world over to add their voices to their complex - yet elegant - compositions. The artists on this album hail from Sweden, Finland, Italy, Lebanon, Turkey, China, Iraq, Palestine, the United States, and more. 

It is through this artistic synthesis that Neotolia aims to inspire listeners and composers across the world. “We tried to make a kaleidoscope of different colors,” notes Artun. “We use African and Indian elements, jazz and American grooves, Eastern European scales, Turkish makams, and more. We aim to break down any and all musical prejudices and hierarchies - whether they are based on nationality, class, ethnicity, or otherwise. We believe music should go beyond such limiting classifications and embrace more creative freedom”. In writing lyrics, Nihal also draws from diverse sources such as traditional Turkish folk music, ancient Lydian poetry, modern popular styles, and even her own invented language of Neotolian. “When we’ve performed these songs in concert”, Nihal recalls, “people in the audience often were in tears - without understanding the words! We were shocked at the positive, profound response. It shows that meaning may not be as important as the message you’re sending from the heart”.

This heartfelt message of multicultural inclusion is the key ingredient of Neotolia’s intoxicating sonic blend. Regardless of style or subject, all of Artun and Nihal’s compositions invite the listener to open their ears - and mind - to a world that embraces the best of everyone, regardless of their background. Like the first rays of dawn over the horizon, Neotolia is only starting its quest to reinterpret and shine new light on Turkish music and culture internationally. Deep roots anchor Artun and Nihal as they grow, and all are invited on this musical journey with them. This is the true meaning of Neotolian Song: it is a song for everyone to enjoy and participate in. It is a song for our whole world!