`Make war against fascists!` Gaye Su Akyol, Turkey`s psychpop powerhouse
(The Guardian Turkey)

She gets called `the most courageous artist in Turkey´ and has been questioned by the police about her lyrics. The singing sensation takes us on a tour of Istanbul to explain how political turmoil feeds her work`This is the hub of pop culture in Istanbul,` says Gaye Su Akyol. `This is where I was raised and where I live. This where my friends and memories are. And when politics made things difficult for musicians, this is where they ran to.`Turkey´s most intriguing psych-folk-rock singer and songwriter is providing a musical history lesson as she shows me around her neighbourhood, Kadiköy, an area of narrow streets, coffee shops, bars and clubs on the Asian side of Istanbul, across the Bosphorus from the main tourist attractions. She explains how the city´s music scene used to be centred over the water on the European side, in the Taksim area and the venues along Istiklal Street. `People came to meet and drink,` she says. `It was a cultural centre. But the religious government was not happy about the situation.`Crazy guys are spreading around the world like cancer Continue reading...