A Night of Turkish Sufi Mystic Music with Latif Bolat
Live Streamed and In Person at the Astana in Richmond, VA
Thursday, November 9th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET

Join renowned Turkish Mystic Sufi scholar and musician Latif Bolat for a wondrous evening of music, poetry, and Sufi mystic stories from the ancient land of Turkey.  

One of the most well-known Turkish musicians in the US, Latif Bolat will perform traditional Turkish Folk Music and devotional Sufi songs (Ilahi and Nefes) from the Anatolian peninsula, while sharing inspiring images from the land of Turkey. Come be immersed in devotional poetry from 13th Century Sufi poets including Rumi, Yunus Emre, and Niyazi Misri, the songs of ancient troubadours of Turkey, and sacred ballads composed by Latif Bolat himself. 

Latif Bolat possesses a vast repertoire, ranging from Sufi devotional songs and Turkish Folk music to classical pieces. Mr. Bolat has presented his music all across America, Canada, India, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Bulgaria, Turkey, Philippines, England and many other international locations. 

In addition to his Carnegie Hall concerts and lectures, he has recorded five very successful CDs, made many TV and radio appearances and composed music for the PBS Documentary “Mohammed: Legacy of a Prophet” and George Lucas’s TV series “Young Indiana Jones” and “Burn Notice”. He is also the co-author of a Turkish Sufi poetry book titled “Quarreling with God” which is published by White Cloud Books (Oregon, 2008).

BIOGRAPHY

Latif Bolat is a native of the Turkish Mediterranean town of Mersin. After receiving his degree in folklore and music at Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey, he taught traditional music throughout the country. He then went on to manage a musical theater company, which performed traditional musical plays. Mr. Bolat also received further degrees in Turkish History and Middle East Religion and Politics from Ankara University and an MBA from San Francisco State University. 

His recent performance and teaching engagements include:

• Educational concerts-lectures at Carnegie Hall in NYC.
  • Soundtrack music for George Lucas Studio’s “Young Indiana Jones”.
  • PBS documentary “Mohammed: Legacy of a Prophet”.
  • TV film “Burn Notice”
• Released 5 successful CDs in the US and Turkey, Co-authored the Turkish mystic Sufi poetry translations and anthology book: “Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Sufi Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey”.
• Festivals across the World in 6 Continents: All India Sufi and Mystic Music Festival, Edinburgh Middle Eastern Spirituality Festival, Alaska Folk Festival, London Festival of Islamic World, Monterey World Music Festival, Boulder World Music Festival, Singapore World Music Festival at the Esplanade, Lotus World Music Festival in Bloomington, Vancouver Spiritual Music Festival, Memphis in May Festival, Carnegie Hall Global Encounters Festival, Canberra National Festival in Australia, Urkult Festival in Sweden and others.
• Concerts and conferences at many institutions including, the United Nations, Oxford University, SOAS-London, Leeds University, University of California at Berkeley, Monash University in Melbourne, University of Chicago, Georgia Tech, UCLA, Stanford University, UC Santa Barbara, University of Southern California, San Francisco State University, University of Washington, Arizona State University, University of South Carolina, Claremont College, University of Colorado at Boulder,  Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, Brigham Young University and many others..
• The California Art Council rewarded Mr.Bolat with a grant for his contributions to the preservation of Turkish traditional music. Turkish Ministry of Culture sponsored his Turkish Sufi poetry translations project titled “Quarreling with God”.  He also leads educational Cultural tours to Turkey for the past 10 years.  Please visit http://www.latifbolat.com for music, press reviews and other information. 

Links to recent concert and lecture videos:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fL4aurPEqs (Ensemble)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eduxkp2Rask (Solo)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0pPHBNwYWk (Solo)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU9ds0sHovU (Hiroshima Song- solo)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrR2LOX4ilc&feature=g-vrec&context=G2dcbb30RVAAAAAAAACA (TV Interview in India on Turkish Sufism and Music)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cJt_K_QzDI (Solo)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y81rzJIzGxw&feature=related (Interview-Concert)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV8UaM7FuO0&feature=related (Garden Concert in India)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCO4MFkE-Q8&feature=related (Collaboration with Lot Lorien of Bulgaria)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWKqDAxFQko&feature=related (Bahamas Festival-Nassau)