Biography
Birol Topaloglu safeguards the musical heritage of Turkey’s East Black Sea region through his work as a vocalist and player of both the kemenge fiddle and the baglama, a three double-stringed instrument. Performing in the Laz language, he gives expression to what he described in a late-’90s interview as “the old ladies and shepherds of the villages in the Black Sea region.” His advocacy for the Laz community was forged through prolonged cultural adversity; barred from using his mother tongue at school, he was compelled to acquire Turkish beginning at age six. That early pressure only deepened his resolve over time. Once he obtained a baglama, he started presenting regional songs on local university stages. While he still undertakes field expeditions to gather material, Topaloglu has repeatedly criticized the Turkish government for declining to protect traditional culture. “What I am doing should be done by the state,” he claimed. “It should be embracing all cultures instead of tearing itself away from them. I am on my own visiting villages and listening to old people for their renditions of so many songs and cultural tales to enable myself to use them in my music.” His first recording, Aravani, reached the top position on Canada’s world-music charts in 2000 and was succeeded the following year by the similarly acclaimed Lazburi.
Albums
