Arts Centre Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium

We previously announced that David Bovée (Think of One, Swan) would perform with Baba Zula. Unfortunately, he is not able to join the band on this evening. He will be replaced by Tuur Florizoone.

Baba Zula is a band that effortlessly combines influences from East and West. They describe their sound as Oriental Dub, futuristic oriental rock ‘n’ roll from Istanbul inspired by the late sixties. Their performances are almost like shaman rituals, and often blend several disciplines, belly dancers, unique outfits, poetry and elements of drama. In short, a delightful Oriental melting pot and an audiovisual feast for the audience.

Baba Zula is always open to working with other artists. The band has previously performed with Selim Sesler, Hüsnü Senlendirici, Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten) and legendary dub producer Mad Professor. Baba Zula also played a central role in Fatih Akin’s documentary film ‘Crossing the Bridge’.

Especially for Istanbul Ekspres, they will work with Tuur Florizoone. Accordionist Florizoone is mainly known for composing the soundtrack for ‘Moscow, Belgium’, which earned him a nomination for the European Film Awards (the European equivalent of the Oscars). He has even been called the Belgian answer to Yann Tiersen. But he also impressed music lovers with his trio, consisting of Michel Massot and Marine Horbaczewski, and the ensembles MusicAzur and Tricycle. We can’t wait to see how his accordion will interact with the music of Baba Zula.