Brenna MacCrimmon
Encyclopedia
Brenna MacCrimmon is a Canadian folk singer from Toronto
, Ontario
, who has been performing, studying and teaching Balkan and Turkish music since the late 1980s. She speaks and sings perfect Turkish
and is internationally acclaimed as a Turkish folk singer.
Her interest in Turkish music started with a trip to a local library in Burlington, Ontario
when she was still a teenager. She describes this incident: "I came across these Turkish albums, and I was really intrigued, there was just an emotional communication." While taking an ethnomusicology
class at University of Toronto
in the early 1980s, MacCrimmon sought out local Turkish musicians and was inspired to learn a folk instrument called the baglama
. She then began playing and singing in a Turkish
community band.
She grew interested in the Turkish branch of Balkan songs known as Rumeli folksongs. She studied Turkish musical theory and combed archives and recordings to uncover nearly forgotten gems. She has visited Greece and Turkey several times, and has also lived and studied in Istanbul, where she did research with people of Rumeli (Balkan-Turkish) descent. During her five-year stay in Istanbul, she immersed herself in Turkish culture, and sang regional folk music at festivals and special events.
Her first album, Karşılama
(also published as Karshlama), is with Selim Sesler and a Thracian Roman ensemble. The album created a big stir and was nominated for a Juno Award
in 1998. She later performed as a guest musician in Psyche-belly Dance Music and Duble Oryantal (Double Oriental) by Baba Zula
and Mad Professor. Her second album, Ajde Mori, released in 2001, features Turkish, Macedonian, and Bulgarian material; her third, Kulak Misafiri, released in 2009, contains mostly Turkish material. Besides, she has also sung one Azerbaijani folklor song - 'Getme, Getme, Gel'(Do not go, do not go, Come back, please).
She formed Orkestar Keyif with Beth Cohen, Paul Brown, Polly Ferber and Haig Manoukian.
She is featured in the 2005 documentary film Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
, directed by Fatih Akın
.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, who has been performing, studying and teaching Balkan and Turkish music since the late 1980s. She speaks and sings perfect Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and is internationally acclaimed as a Turkish folk singer.
Her interest in Turkish music started with a trip to a local library in Burlington, Ontario
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
when she was still a teenager. She describes this incident: "I came across these Turkish albums, and I was really intrigued, there was just an emotional communication." While taking an ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
class at University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in the early 1980s, MacCrimmon sought out local Turkish musicians and was inspired to learn a folk instrument called the baglama
Baglama
thumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
. She then began playing and singing in a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
community band.
She grew interested in the Turkish branch of Balkan songs known as Rumeli folksongs. She studied Turkish musical theory and combed archives and recordings to uncover nearly forgotten gems. She has visited Greece and Turkey several times, and has also lived and studied in Istanbul, where she did research with people of Rumeli (Balkan-Turkish) descent. During her five-year stay in Istanbul, she immersed herself in Turkish culture, and sang regional folk music at festivals and special events.
Her first album, Karşılama
Karsilama
Karsilamas , is a Turkish folk dance spread all over Northwest Asia Minor and carried to Greece by Asia Minor refugees...
(also published as Karshlama), is with Selim Sesler and a Thracian Roman ensemble. The album created a big stir and was nominated for a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
in 1998. She later performed as a guest musician in Psyche-belly Dance Music and Duble Oryantal (Double Oriental) by Baba Zula
Baba Zula
Baba Zula is a Turkish musical group, founded in Istanbul in 1996, featuring founding members Levent Akman and Murat Ertel as well as Coşar Kamçı, who replaced original member Emre Onel in 2005. BaBa Zula added live drawing artist Ceren Oykut into the mix in 2004. She left the band in 2010. Her...
and Mad Professor. Her second album, Ajde Mori, released in 2001, features Turkish, Macedonian, and Bulgarian material; her third, Kulak Misafiri, released in 2009, contains mostly Turkish material. Besides, she has also sung one Azerbaijani folklor song - 'Getme, Getme, Gel'(Do not go, do not go, Come back, please).
She formed Orkestar Keyif with Beth Cohen, Paul Brown, Polly Ferber and Haig Manoukian.
She is featured in the 2005 documentary film Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul is a 2005 film/documentary directed by Fatih Akın. The film is a journey through the music scene in modern Istanbul, Turkey as well as portraying its cultural life. It was screened out of competition at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.It features German...
, directed by Fatih Akın
Fatih Akin
Fatih Akın is a German film director, screenwriter and producer of Turkish descent.- Personal life :Akın was born in 1973 in Hamburg to parents of Turkish ethnicity...
.
Sources
- http://www.myspace.com/brennamaccrimmon
- http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/05winter/alumninotes.asp
- http://www.sunfest.on.ca/karshla.htm
- http://www.strandrel.com/pressroom/Presskits/CrossingTheBridge2.doc
- http://exoticmusicshop.com/sf-article_info-of-Brenna_MacCrimmon-aid-15-tp-7_9.htm