Sanguine Sunday - Global Rhythms

Last Fall I traveled through Eastern Europe and made it to the frontier of the Occidental world in the great city of Istanbul. The city is actually built partially on the European continent and partially on Asia; the Bosporous bridges actually bridge the two continents. Istanbul once was Constantinople, the seat of the Byzantine / Eastern Roman empire, and before that served as cross sectioned portal between the eastern and western worlds.

What very few people over here in California know is that Istanbul has an extremely rich musical history, informed by a global sensibility just as much as the people and city are. What emerges from this heritage is a uniquely provocative and cosmopolitan sound, blending many soulful and bass heavy styles from around the world with a backbone in Sufi mysticism and Turkish percussion. I found a great record label during my stay by the name of Doublemoon Records. They do an excellent job detailing their musical objectives.

Over the past 10 years, in synergy with three sister companies, Doublemoon has succeeded in nurturing a roster of promising talent into internationally recognized artists. Ranging from Sufi-electronica to groove alla turca, from jazz to gypsy funk, from oriental hip hop to Anatolian blues the musical gems that emerge from recording sessions are documented and recorded by Doublemoon. As such, Doublemoon Records is the sole platform for musicians with an amorphous ethnic identity to come together to create, collaborate, and communicate through the universal language of music.

Listen to a taste of this sound in our Sanguine Sunday Radio "Global Rhythms" set. Also, we're putting up a poll to vote for a new name on Wednesday, so please give us your input!