Babylon Istanbul
Encyclopedia
Babylon Istanbul is a music venue located in Istanbul
, Turkey
.. It was opened by Pozitif on April 23, 1999 with a concert by John Lurie
& the Lounge Lizards.
In 2010, Babylon launched its Lounge restaurant, which is located just a street behind the main venue. They started "happy hours", warm-ups and after parties hosted by various DJs, before and after the concerts in Babylon. In earlier hours before the concerts, the audience can have a sit in the restaurant and have a dinner.
Since then, the venue in Beyoğlu
has hosted hundreds of bands and over 1,500 concerts. The venue can accommodate 450 standing or 350 tables & standing audience.
Babylon's past hosted acts include: Patti Smith
& Band, Marianne Faithfull
, Of Montreal
, Ed Harcourt
with Sean Parker Band
, The National
, Roy Ayers
, Omara Portuondo
, Jane Birkin
, Gotan Project
, Matthew Herbert
, Balkan Beat Box
, Michael Franti
& Spearhead, Meshell Ndegeocello, İlhan Erşahin’s Wax Poetic
featuring Norah Jones
, Elbow
, Stereolab
, Mouse on Mars
, Rachid Taha
, and Natacha Atlas
.
Some of the artists, who performed in Babylon are:
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.. It was opened by Pozitif on April 23, 1999 with a concert by John Lurie
John Lurie
John Lurie is an American actor, musician, painter and producer. He is co-founder of The Lounge Lizards, a jazz ensemble. Lurie has acted in 19 films including Stranger than Paradise and Down by Law, composed and performed music for 20 television and film works, and he produced and starred in...
& the Lounge Lizards.
In 2010, Babylon launched its Lounge restaurant, which is located just a street behind the main venue. They started "happy hours", warm-ups and after parties hosted by various DJs, before and after the concerts in Babylon. In earlier hours before the concerts, the audience can have a sit in the restaurant and have a dinner.
Since then, the venue in Beyoğlu
Beyoglu
Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...
has hosted hundreds of bands and over 1,500 concerts. The venue can accommodate 450 standing or 350 tables & standing audience.
Babylon's past hosted acts include: Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
& Band, Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
, Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
, Ed Harcourt
Ed Harcourt
Ed Harcourt is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released five studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize...
with Sean Parker Band
Sean Parker Band
Sean Parker Band is an experimental alternative rock group based in Istanbul, based around British-born singer-songwriter Sean Parker. They are notable for playing with Ed Harcourt at Babylon Istanbul club, John Robb's The Membranes at Indigo, with Turkish experimental rock group Replikas at...
, The National
The National (band)
The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...
, Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
, Omara Portuondo
Omara Portuondo
Omara Portuondo Peláez is a Cuban singer and dancer whose career has spanned over half a century. She was one of the original members of the Cuarteto d'Aida, and has performed with Ignacio Piñeiro, Orquesta Anacaona, Orquesta Aragón, Nat King Cole, Adalberto Álvarez, Los Van Van, the Buena Vista...
, Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin
Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE is an English-born actress and singer who lives in France. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.- Early life :...
, Gotan Project
Gotan Project
Gotan Project is a musical group based in Paris, consisting of musicians Philippe Cohen Solal , Eduardo Makaroff , and Christoph H. Müller .-History:...
, Matthew Herbert
Matthew Herbert
Matthew Herbert , also known as Herbert, Doctor Rockit, Radio Boy, Mr. Vertigo, Transformer, and Wishmountain, is a British electronic musician...
, Balkan Beat Box
Balkan Beat Box
Balkan Beat Box is an Israeli musical group founded by Tamir Muskat, Ori Kaplan of Firewater and Big Lazy, and Tomer Yosef . As a musical project they often cooperate with a host of other musicians both in the studio as well as live...
, Michael Franti
Michael Franti
Michael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...
& Spearhead, Meshell Ndegeocello, İlhan Erşahin’s Wax Poetic
Wax Poetic
Wax Poetic is a New York-based trip-hop band. The band came together in 1997 founded by Turkish music guru Ilhan Ersahin who is still a current member, playing tenor saxophone and keys...
featuring Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
, Stereolab
Stereolab
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
, Mouse on Mars
Mouse on Mars
Mouse on Mars is a duo from Germany who have been making electronic music since 1993. Their music is a sometimes quirky blend of IDM, krautrock, disco, and ambient with a heavy dollop of analog synth sounds and cross-frequency modulation...
, Rachid Taha
Rachid Taha
Rachid Taha is an Algerian singer and activist based in France who has been described as "sonically adventurous." His music is influenced by many different styles such as rock, electronic, punk and raï.-Early life:Taha was born in 1958 in Sig , Algeria, although a second source suggests he was...
, and Natacha Atlas
Natacha Atlas
Natacha Atlas is a Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western electronic music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "cha'abi moderne" . Her music has been influenced by many styles including Arabic, hip hop, drum 'n' bass and reggae.Atlas began her career as part of...
.
Some of the artists, who performed in Babylon are:
- Rock / Indie: Patti Smith, Broken Social SceneBroken Social SceneBroken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
, Marianne Faithfull, The National, Of Montreal, Fujiya & MiyagiFujiya & MiyagiFujiya & Miyagi are an English band formed in Brighton in 2000. They are currently signed to Full Time Hobby Records in the United Kingdom.-Career:...
, CaribouCaribou (musician)Daniel Victor Snaith is a composer, musician and recording artist under stage names Caribou, Manitoba and Daphni. Under the supervision of Kevin Buzzard, he obtained a PhD in mathematics at Imperial College London.- Career:...
, Jens LekmanJens LekmanJens Martin Lekman is a Swedish musician. His music is guitar-based pop with heavy use of samples and strings, with lyrics that are often witty, romantic, and melancholic. The English lyrics reflect an advanced knowledge of the language and its idioms...
, SebadohSebadohSebadoh is an American indie rock band, formed in 1986 in Westfield, Massachusetts by Eric Gaffney and Dinosaur Jr bass player Lou Barlow. Along with such bands as Pavement and Guided by Voices, Sebadoh helped pioneer lo-fi music, a style of indie rock characterized by low-fidelity recording...
, Zita SwoonZita SwoonZita Swoon is a Belgian indie rock group. They entered the music scene of Antwerp in 1993, still under the name A Beatband with the EP "Jintro Travels The Word In A Skirt". The group is typical of the music scene in Antwerp, with members playing in numerous other groups. Best known member is singer...
, Art Brut, Elbow, Ed Harcourt (with Sean Parker), Stereolab, Cat PowerCat PowerCharlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
, BrazzavilleBrazzaville (band)Brazzaville is an indie pop band founded in 1997 by David Brown. Brown was at one time Beck's saxophonist and took part in recording of Odelay and Midnite Vultures...
, Rubin Steiner, Chicks on SpeedChicks on SpeedChicks on Speed is a multi-national musical ensemble, formed in Munich in 1997, when members Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie met at the Academy of Fine Arts....
, Easy Star All Stars, TunngTunngTunng are an experimental folk band from the United Kingdom.The band is often associated with the folktronica genre due to the electronic influences evident in some of their work.-Biography:...
, Piano MagicPiano MagicPiano Magic is a musical collective formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their sound has been described as ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica, coldwave, dark wave and ghostrock...
, InfadelsInfadelsInfadels are a London-based indie-electro band signed to the Wall of Sound record label. Their debut album, We Are Not the Infadels, was produced by Jagz Kooner and released in January 2006. A second album, the Martin "Youth" Glover produced Universe In Reverse, was released in June 2008...
.
- Electronica: UffieUffieAnna-Catherine Hartley , better known by her stage name Uffie , is a Paris-based underground electronic musician, rapper, fashion designer and socialite signed to French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records. She has been described as a muse for French DJs, and is known for working with...
&DJ Feadz, Amon TobinAmon TobinAmon Adonai Santos de Araújo Tobin , known as Amon Tobin, is a Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. He is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world...
, Mouse on Mars, PlaidPlaid (band)Plaid is a London-based British electronic music duo comprising Andy Turner and Ed Handley. They are former members of The Black Dog and used many other names, such as Atypic and Balil , before settling on Plaid...
, ScannerScanner (band)Scanner is a power metal band that was formed in 1986. They released their first album, Hypertrace, in 1988 through Noise Records. The band has split up and rejoined at least twice since its creation and its only remaining original band member is the guitarist Axel A.J. Julius.-Members:*Efthimios...
, SwayzakSwayzakSwayzak is a tech house duo from the United Kingdom that consists of James S. Taylor and David Brown. They live and work in London and released their first 12" single "Bueno" / "Fukumachi" in February 1997 to much acclaim...
, BentBent (band)Bent are an electronica act from Nottingham in England, consisting of Neil "Nail" Tolliday and Simon Mills. They gained critical acclaim from their debut album Programmed to Love in 2000....
, Tortured Soul, Buscemi, Dani Scilliano, Metro AreaMetro AreaMetro Area is a Brooklyn-based dance music production team composed of Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani.- History :Geist grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, while Jesrani is from upstate New York...
, FreaksFreaks (band)Freaks, earlier known as Robotic Movement, Future Movement and the Unknown are an electronic band from London, England. The band members are Justin Harris and Luke Solomon...
.
- DJs: Afrika Bambaata, Grandmaster FlashGrandmaster FlashJoseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
, Kruder & DorfmeisterKruder & DorfmeisterKruder & Dorfmeister, named after members Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister, is an Austrian duo most known for their downtempo-dub remixes of pop, hip-hop and drum and bass songs.-Style:...
, Gilles PetersonGilles PetersonGilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
, Mark FarinaMark FarinaMark Farina is a disc jockey and musician, known for his Chicago house, acid jazz and downtempo works. Notable releases include Mood and the Mushroom Jazz series , and recently known also from house compilations El Divinio...
, Hot ChipHot ChipHot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
, TiefschwarzTiefschwarzTiefschwarz is an electro house group comprising brothers, Alexander "Ali" and Sebastian "Basti" Schwarz, which formed in Stuttgart in 1996. Peter Hoff, who runs the Benztown studios in Stuttgart, joined later, and completed the first Tiefschwarz production team...
, JoakimJoakimJoakim is a male name primarily used in Scandinavian cultures. It is derived from a transliteration of the Hebrew יהוֹיָקִים, the name of Saint Joachim, the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus.The following people are known by the given name Joakim:...
, Alter EgoAlter Ego (band)Alter Ego is a German acid house music group, comprising Roman Flügel and Jörn Elling Wuttke. They achieved notability in 2004 with their track "Rocker", which became one of the year's defining dance anthems, especially in Europe, and getting played on rotation amongst the most popular electroclash...
, Kraak & SmaakKraak & SmaakKraak & Smaak are a musical producer trio from the town of Leiden, the Netherlands consisting of Oscar de Jong, Mark Kneppers and Wim Plug.-Biography:...
, DJ MehdiDJ MehdiMehdi Favéris-Essadi , better known by his stage name DJ Mehdi, was a French hip hop and electro producer of mixed French and Tunisian origin.-Biography:...
, Gus Gus, Ian PooleyIan PooleyIan Pooley is a German-born record producer and DJ. While incorporating samples of various musical genres, Pooley's creations are usually classified as house or tech house with Brazilian influence.-Career:...
, Kid LocoKid LocoJean-Yves Prieur, aka Kid Loco is a French electronic musician, DJ, remixer and producer. He was born on June 16, 1964 in Antony, Hauts-de-Seine, France. Allmusic considers his style to be similar to Air and Dimitri from Paris...
, DJ Patilife, Asia ArgentoAsia ArgentoAria Asia Anna Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model and director.-Family and early life:...
. - Jazz: Mike SternMike SternMike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...
, Courtney PineCourtney PineCourtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...
, Jane Birkin, Nguyen LeNguyên LêNguyên Lê is a French jazz musician and composer of Vietnamese ancestry. His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays electric bass guitar and guitar synthesizer....
, Alice RussellAlice Russell (singer)Alice Russell is a British soul singer. She was born in 1975, the daughter of an organist, and grew up in Framlingham in Suffolk. At the age of nine, following in her father and sisters' musical footsteps, Alice began taking lessons on Cello, and sang in choirs, before studying art and music in...
, Roy Ayers, Gwyneth HerbertGwyneth HerbertGwyneth Herbert is a British singer-songwriter and pianist, initially known for her interpretation of jazz and swing standards, and now established as a writer of original compositions. She lives in Hackney, London....
, Ray AndersonRay Anderson (musician)Ray Anderson is an independent jazz trombone and trumpet player. Anderson is a boisterous trombonist who is masterful at multiphonics. Trained by the Chicago Symphony trombonists, he is regarded as pushing the limits of the instrument. He is a contemporary and colleague of trombonist/composer...
, Bill FrisellBill FrisellWilliam Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
, Jimmy ScottJimmy ScottJimmy Scott , aka "Little" Jimmy Scott, is an American jazz vocalist famous for his unusually high contralto voice which is due to Kallmann's syndrome, a very rare genetic condition. The condition stunted his growth at four feet eleven inches until, at age 37, he grew another 8 inches to the...
, Stacey KentStacey KentStacey Kent is a Grammy nominated American jazz singer.- Background :Kent attended Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. Her paternal grandfather was Russian. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and moved to England after her graduation...
, Soullive, Marc RibotMarc RibotMarc Ribot born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer.His own work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and composer John Zorn.-Biography:Ribot was...
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- Nu Jazz & Jazz Dance: Bonobo, Nostalgia 77, Gotan Project, Matthew Herbert, BellerucheBellerucheBelleruche is a three-piece electronic/soul band from the United Kingdom. They are currently signed on the Brighton based Tru Thoughts label.The band was formed in North London in 2005....
, Five Corners Quintet, Erik TruffazErik TruffazErik Truffaz is a Swiss-born French jazz trumpeter, infusing elements of hip hop, rock and roll and dance music into his compositions. He signed with the French EMI label in 1996. Truffaz gained international attention with his second album on Blue Note, The Dawn, produced together with Pat...
, Jimi TenorJimi TenorJimi Tenor is a Finnish musician. His name is a combination of the first name of his youth idol Jimmy Osmond and the tenor saxophone. His band Jimi Tenor & His Shamans published its first album in 1988, Jimi's first solo album appeared in 1994. "Take Me Baby" became his first hit in 1994...
, Groove CollectiveGroove CollectiveGroove Collective is a contemporary jazz group. In 2007 they were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year for the release People People Music Music on the Savoy Jazz label.-Style:Groove Collective was formed in 1990...
, NojazzNojazzNojazz is a French electronic music band, often labeled as being a Nu-jazz band, with sounds borrowed from jazz and Cuba. Since November 2006 , They play every Saturday in French TV show Salut les Terriens, presented by Thierry Ardisson on Canal+. They play the track "boogaloo" at the beginning of...
, De PhazzDe PhazzDe Phazz is a downtempo jazz ensemble integrating modern turntablism and elements of soul, Latin, trip hop and drum and bass into a lounge music sound. De Phazz is led by Pit Baumgartner, a German producer who has varied the lineup of artists for every new album. Some regular members are Barbara...
, The SpooksThe SpooksSpooks was an American hip-hop/R&B group, active in the late 1990s. After attaining success throughout Europe with their album S.I.O.S.O.S., Vol. 1, Spooks garnered a hit with the single, "Things I've Seen",...
, De Lata, Brooklyn Funk EssentialsBrooklyn Funk EssentialsBrooklyn Funk Essentials is a music collective who mix jazz, funk, and hip hop, featuring musicians and poets from different cultures. The band was conceived in 1993 by producer Arthur Baker and bassist and musical director Lati Kronlund...
, Ursula RuckerUrsula RuckerUrsula Rucker is an American spoken word recording artist. Rucker is known for a diverse repertoire, and for utilizing techniques that catch her listeners' attention.-Biography:...
- Latin/Brazilian: Omara PortuondoOmara PortuondoOmara Portuondo Peláez is a Cuban singer and dancer whose career has spanned over half a century. She was one of the original members of the Cuarteto d'Aida, and has performed with Ignacio Piñeiro, Orquesta Anacaona, Orquesta Aragón, Nat King Cole, Adalberto Álvarez, Los Van Van, the Buena Vista...
, Poncho SanchezPoncho SanchezPoncho Sanchez , a Mexican-American, is a conguero , Latin jazz band leader, and salsa singer. In 2000, Sanchez and his ensemble won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for their work on the Concord Picante album Latin Soul...
, Daniel MelingoDaniel MelingoDaniel Melingo is an Argentine musician, with a background in rock . He is now a tango artist and tours with his band Los Ramones del tango.-Biography:...
, Eddie PalmieriEddie PalmieriEddie Palmieri , is a Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican pianist, bandleader and musician, best known for combining jazz piano and instrumental solos with Latin rhythms.-Early years:...
, Omar SosaOmar SosaOmar Sosa is a composer, bandleader, and jazz pianist.-Biography:Sosa began studying marimba at age eight, then switched to piano at the Escuela Nacional de Musica in Havana, where he studied jazz. Sosa moved to Quito, Ecuador, in 1993, then San Francisco, California, in 1995...
, OrishasOrishas (band)Orishas was a Cuban hip hop group The group was first called "Amenaza", "threat" or "menace" in Spanish, and appealed to the Cuban youth who were hungry for African-American culture consisting of hip hop and rap. Orishas delved into a realm of music that created a black identity to which some...
, AzymuthAzymuthAzymuth is a three-piece electric funk jazz group from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Formed in 1972, the members are Jose Roberto Bertrami , Alex Malheiros , and Ivan Conti .-History:...
, Los de AbajoLos de AbajoLos de Abajo is the official supporters group of Universidad de Chile. They are one of the biggest groups of supporters in Chile.-History:...