Derya Yildirim & Grup Şimşek

Born in 2014, and with 3 albums and one EP under their belt, the group has forged a formidable reputation with their heady mix of Anatolian folk, 1970s Turkish psychedelia, pop and jazz. For their performance at the Elbphilharmonie, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek present a special programme featuring a string of new compositions. Their fans will discover these songs on their fourth LP, recorded in the USA in 2024 and due to be released in spring 2025. Special guests and surprises are to be expected, as the group has multiplied their connections over the years and expanded their visions of musical arrangements and stage production.

Yıldırım grew up in the multicultural neighborhood of Veddel, where she was influenced by the culture and music of neighboring communities as well as that of her family, learning the bağlama alongside piano, saxophone and guitar. Despite being multilingual, Yıldırım exclusively sings in Turkish: »It’s really important to me because that’s the language I can really express myself in – it’s my emotional language«, she explains. Graham Mushnik (organ, synthesizers) and Antonin Voyant (guitar, bass, and flute) are both members of London/France-based collective Catapulte Records and have played in l’Orchestre du Montplaisant, a quartet known for its cinematic, retro atmospheres. Capetonian drummer Helen Wells has introduced her own style from the South African DIY and psychedelic scenes into the live set since 2022.