2023

Manço helped pioneer a fusion of traditional Turkish sounds with Western rock music and sensibilities, and he did this without losing the Turkish character of his compositions. The use of such instruments as the yaylı tambur and the bağlama (variants of long-neck Turkish lutes) in the dreamier passages of the album evoke a more traditional Turkish than rock feeling. Since I cannot understand the language, I had to resort to reading explanations of the lyrics, and I found the centerpiece of side B, “Baykoca Destanı”, compelling. Apparently this multi-sectional song obliquely refers to the violent military coups in Turkey during the 60s and early 70s.