After working with the composer and guitarist Carlo Domeniconi and recording a series of Masterclasses about this well-known classical guitar piece "Koyunbaba op. 19", I want to share my interpretation with you. Koyunbaba describes not only a region in Turkey with beautiful but very rough nature but also a sheppard ("Koyun" = "sheep", "Baba" = "father") and a mystical and legendary figure.

"Kara Toprak" is one of my favorite turkish songs by Aşık Veysel, I especially like the arrangement that Ricardo Moyano did. He is from Argentina living in Istanbul and did lots of wonderful arrangements of music from all over the world.

"Kara Toprak" is turkish and means "Black Soil". Aşık Veysel’s lyrics are deeply philosophical and poetic, reflecting themes of life, death, and a profound connection to nature. He personifies the earth as a source of life and ultimate refuge, expressing gratitude and respect for it. The song highlights the inevitability of death, with Veysel acknowledging that no matter one's wealth or status, everyone returns to the earth. Despite this, his words carry a sense of peace and acceptance, emphasizing humility and unity with nature. Aşık Veysel, a blind folk poet and musician, often wrote about love, fate, and the passage of time, making his works timeless and deeply moving. "Kara Toprak" remains one of his most iconic compositions, resonating with listeners through its heartfelt wisdom and simplicity.

I'm playing the Chinese/Mongolian song "Swan Goose" in the arrgement by Johannes Möller. I fell in love with the calm and beauty of this song. I decided to film in two different places as I also wanted to show more of the beauty of the Chinese Garden in Gärten der Welt in Berlin.

Here are some words of Johannes Möller about his arrangement: "The Chinese/Mongolian Song 鸿雁 meaning Swan Goose is one of the most famous songs in China and Mongolia. This song is about the migrating swan geese which also serves as a metaphor for how we feel when family and friends depart to far away places. In my arrangement I wanted to capture this heartfelt feelings. Therefore I retuned the two lowest strings of the guitar down a tone to D and G which gives it a rich mellow sound. The intro and outro of the song is my own original music but is has been composed with the song in mind. The two parallel voices are imitating the swan geese taking of the groud and flying into the horizon."

"Drama Köprüsü" is the name of a bridge and a traditional Turkish folk song that originates from the region of Drama, once part of the Ottoman Empire. The song tells the story of Debreli Hasan, a legendary figure known as a brave outlaw who fought against injustice. In this video, I play my own interpretation of this beautiful arrangement that Kevin Seddiki made for guitar.

Originally written by the renowned Scottish fiddler and composer Niel Gow (1727 - 1807) as a tribute to his late wife, the piece "Niel Gow's Lament for the Death of His Second Wife" transcends the emotions grief, love, and a sense of longing through its beautiful melodies. The arrangement was made by the guitarist David Russell.

Sometimes painfully melancholy, then exuberantly alive, always passionate and usually a little mystical. This is KATIJU. Under this name, Evin Küçükali and Julia Schüler found each other in Dresden two years ago to interpret oriental and Brazilian folklore in their own way. Inspired by family backgrounds and other musicians, they create an intimate sound that is characterized by Evin's warm, smoky voice and Julia's artful guitar playing. They prove that this unusual mix of longing, far-eastern melodies and lively samba rhythms works not only in their concerts but also on their debut album, where KATIJU invites their listeners to sink into another world.

„In these times, when musical sounds are so weighed down with electronics, KATIJU brings in a beautiful breeze! A natural great voice and a superlative guitar player.“ - Carlo Domeniconi

„Impeccable pulse and rhythm, good sound, instrumental technique put at the servie of interpretation, love and respect for the musical style approached, Julia Schüler has everything I want to find when I listen to a guitar. The natural, warm voice of Evin Küçükali is perfectly complemented in this walk by melodies and rhythms of different cultures.“ - Ricardo Moyano