Led by bass player Cem Tuncer, the Origins are performing as a six piece backed by trumpet player Barış Demirel, organist Tolga Zafer Özdemir and with a range of wild instruments, including the Anatolian Kamancheh, the Kopuz (lute), kanun, clarinet, kaval, duduk, bendir and oud – no ordinary jazz set up!

Barış is well known for searching for new connections between his trumpet and digital interfaces influenced by hip hop, ambient, Turkish traditional and of course jazz. Tolga Zafer Özdemir is a writer, pianist, composer and teacher dedicated to uncovering findings on algorithmic composition and developing the Tritonet, a tool to create musical structures visually and inspired by three thousand year tablet.

About Turquazz Festival:

Turquazz Anatolian Jazz & Roots Festival is a brand new and multidisciplinary arts festival in London, shining a light on Anatolian jazz and roots culture emanating from Turkey and its surrounding regions. Kicking off on March 13th and running till the end of the month at various venues around the capital, the festival is one of discovery boasting a packed programme of concerts, screenings, talks, dance, DJs and a pop up jazz-dining experience. Anatolian jazz without limits! www.turquazz.org

• Festival Partners: 

• The Arts Council England - Turquazz is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England,
• Turkish Embassy
• Yunus Emre Institute,
• Turkish Airlines,
• MYRA,
• Radisson Blu, Edwardian London
• Laz@Camden
• SOAS University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies)