Ayşe Göknur Shanal, soprano
Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye, Yarralumla 18 April
2024
Reviewed by Len Power
Ayşe Göknur Shanal has won many prestigious awards and scholarships here in Australia and overseas. She has performed widely in the USA, UK, Europe and Asia including Opera Australia, Turkish State Opera and Opera Queensland.
She was accompanied by John Robinson, oud and guitar, Tarik Hüseyin, kanun, and Faruq Bin Buchari, percussion.
In the embassy’s beautiful Lalezar Hall, the seated audience surrounded the performers on all sides, giving the concert, Falasteen in Song, sub-titled “a concert in human solidarity with the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza”, a strong sense of community.
Ayşe Göknur Shanal and Faruq Bin Buchari, percussion.
Each song was preceded by translations given by Shanal and her rich soprano voice gave the songs a clarity of emotion that was quite moving.
The atmospheric accompaniment of the Turkish instruments added immeasurably to the effect of the songs.
Joining the instrumentalists on the oboe for the song, Yumma mwein al Hawa, was guest, Laith Ismael, an esteemed woodwind performer who has worked with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. Another guest, Farah Jirf, performed Zahrat al Mada'en in a duet with Shanal.
Many of the songs were known to the audience who joined in the choruses, the warmth in their voices adding further to the moving communal spirit of the evening.
Photo by Len Power
This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 19 April 2024.
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