Mercan Dede
b. Arkin Ilicali, 1966, Bursa, Turkey. Born into a poor rural community, Ilicali studied journalism at Istanbul University. He then relocated to Canada where he studied in Saskatoon and later at Montreal's Concordia College. Noted for his work as an artist and photographer, he became a teacher in Montreal. He was also known as DJ Arkin Allen in North America from the mid-80s. In 1997 he started performing under the name Mercan Dede. Playing ney, bendir and percussion, he composes much of his repertoire. Blending contemporary sounds with musical traditions of the Middle East, he cloaks it all in Sufi mysticism. He performs at festivals and in concert halls internationally. In performance, Dede includes dancing based on the whirling dervish, meeting criticism from traditionalists.
Listen to Mercan Dede
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Ab-I Cesm
- Ab-I Zen
- Ab-I Beka
- Nar-I Ney
- Ab-I La'l
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