PROJECTS
PROJECTS | ALONG THE SILK ROAD
Arifa presents four performance programs with guest musicians joining the core quartet, each exploring a different musical perspective along the Silk Road.
The ensemble travels along the musical routes of the Silk Roads, where different traditions, styles and sonic worlds meet. Each program explores its own direction, a dialogue between heritage and contemporary sound. Each project becomes an encounter, a shift in perception and listening, where new narratives emerge. Tarab forms the DNA of the ensemble: a musical state in which intensity and stillness converge, acting as a unifying force throughout all programs.
TARAB DANCE
Line-up:
Burak Savaş – vocals, violin & tanbur (TR)
Bence Huszar – cello & soundscapes (HU)
Antonio Moreno – synthesizer, trumpet (ES/RU)
Sjahin During – percussion set (TR/NL)
Afro Anatolian Tales is the sonic laboratory of Turkish-Dutch percussionist Sjahin During, where rhythm, electronics and improvisation merge into a hybrid musical language. Inspired by the musical traditions of the Silk Roads, Tarab Dance moves between trance and groove. Acoustic instruments and electronic soundscapes blend into a cinematic live experience where tradition and contemporary sound reinforce each other.
SOLD OUT at Bimhuis (Amsterdam), Verkadefabriek (Den Bosch), Paradox (Tilburg) and De Cactus (Bruges).
International tour 2026 includes:
Festival Noites no Cais (PT), Windmills Craftworks (IN), Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (IN), Segesta Teatro Festival (IT), Alkantara Festival (IT), Cairo Jazz Festival (EG), Amman Jazz Festival (JO) — concerts in 8 countries in 2026.
“An unforgettable musical journey through the world of the Silk Road.”
– Het Parool
“A fascinating and contemplative musical journey.”
– Songlines Magazine (UK)
Premiere live trailer
SHIRAZ DIVAN
Featuring:
Avin Ahmadi – oud, vocals (IR)
Saghar Khadem – percussion (IR)
In Shiraz Divan, Afro Anatolian Tales welcomes two exceptional Iranian musicians: Avin Ahmadi (oud, vocals) and Saghar Khadem (Iranian percussion).
Together they deepen the musical dialogue between Anatolian and Persian traditions. Fragile melodic lines, microtonal tension and refined rhythmic structures lead to moments of intense focus and ecstatic energy.
A program balancing introspection and elevation.
“SOLD OUT at Bimhuis. The tension built over ninety minutes erupted into thunderous applause, where tradition and modernity seamlessly met.”
– Ton Maas, MixedWorldMusic
(Note: Avin is based in Vienna, Saghar in Amersfoort)
Live at Verkadefabriek
BEYOND ISTANBUL
Featuring:
Melisa Yildirim – kamanche & lavta (TR)
In Beyond Istanbul, Afro Anatolian Tales explores Anatolian and Ottoman musical traditions in dialogue with Istanbul-based multi-instrumentalist and improviser Melisa Yildirim.
Trained at the State Conservatory of Turkish Music in Istanbul and winner of the Teke Region Folk Instruments Competition, she opened for Womex Award-winner Aynur Doğan at the EFG London Jazz Festival at the Barbican Centre, performed with the Yazz Ahmed Quartet at Morgenland Festival (DE), and appeared at Etnosoi! Finland.
Her kamanche and lavta carry a microtonal, hypnotic timbre rooted in Anatolian folk traditions, Persian heritage and spiritual music. Born within an Alevi musical culture, she moves naturally between oral tradition and contemporary improvisation, blending acoustic performance with electronic textures in a way that aligns seamlessly with the DNA of Afro Anatolian Tales.
Breath, resonance and space form the core of a sound world where ancient traditions meet the freedom of the present moment.
More info: www.melisayildirim.com
(Note: Melisa is currently based in Helsinki, Finland)
SILK ROAD DIALOGUES
Featuring:
Vanraj Shastri – vocals, sarangi (IN)
Sunaad Anoor – South Indian percussion, konnakol (IN)
Silk Road Dialogues is a musical encounter with India, bringing together Afro Anatolian Tales and vocalist and sarangi player Vanraj Shastri, deeply rooted in the North Indian classical tradition. The sarangi, one of the oldest and most expressive bowed instruments, brings a deeply vocal and emotional quality to the music.
Together with Sunaad Anoor on South Indian percussion and konnakol, a unique dialogue emerges between Makam and Raga, and between rhythmic systems from different Indian traditions. Vocal improvisation, sarangi and spoken rhythm create a layered musical landscape in which melody and rhythm constantly interact, connected by the Sufi tradition as a shared thread between Anatolia and India.
Premiere India tour July 2026 with 8 concerts across leading venues and festivals in New Delhi, Bangalore, Goa and Mumbai.
(Note: Vanraj is based in Mumbai & Sunaad in Bangalore)