Mircan Kaia
Encyclopedia
Mircan Kaia is a Turkish-Georgian-Mingrelian musician
of multi-cultural identity who has produced several widely acclaimed albums.
The first album she put out was Bizim Ninniler (Our Lullabies), a first of its kind, which was followed by Kül (Ashes). Mircan Kaya, who lives now for the most part in Istanbul
, but has her roots in Mingrelia (in what is now the independent Georgia
), has become increasingly well known in recent years for her distinctive music; but she brings to the Turkish cultural scene much more than her music.
Her family comes from the Megrel-Laz ethnic group who migrated to Turkey
from Batumi
, Georgia. After completing middle school
and graduating from Nisantasi Girl’s High School in Istanbul, she studied civil engineering at Yıldız Technical University
and completed a master's degree
on earthquake engineering at Boğaziçi University
in Istanbul. Her engineering career has had much success dealing with advanced, innovative engineering technologies. Operating her own engineering company, she acts as the representative of FIP INDUSTRIALE S.p.A based in Italy
and has directed several important, international engineering projects. She was trained on advanced engineering and seismic technologies in France
, Italy
, and Jordan
as well as in Turkey.
She started singing very early, in infancy, preferring to sing adult songs, rather than those for babies and children. Singing with orchestra
s in wedding
ceremonies gradually became an ordinary activity for her. At an early age, her singing of classical Turkish music would produce smiles of surprise in her listeners. She has studied music
with private music teachers and started performing in front of audiences as a child. She performed with the Classical Turkish Music Choir of the University for four years. She also performed and wrote songs with her band for six years during her university years.
She carved out a niche for herself on the music scene with the albums Bizim Ninniler and Kül, which she put out in 2005, as a result of which thousands of babies are sleeping with her healing voice singing lullabies
now. This album was the first in its genre covering traditional Anatolia
n lullabies. It was followed by another successful album - Kul & Ashes- with contemporary arrangements of traditional songs from Anatolia, Georgia and Bosnia. She was also invited to contribute an improvisational dirge
and lullaby for Bir Beyaz Ölüm, an album produced by the Ministry of Culture in commemoration of the soldiers who died at Sarikamis. Mircan's third album "Sala" received very good reviews from music authorities. The album was reviewed by FROOTS magazine and described as a Pre-Raphaelite tapestry, a genius work full of juxtapositions. The album actually represents the multi-cultural blend of Mircan's inner personality and her music which fits very well with the environment, combining many different elements such as geography
, language
, religion
s, tradition
s, etc.
In 2006, she expanded the operational scope of her engineering company in advanced engineering and earthquake
technologies and founded UCM (UnCatalogued Music Production), which implements an idealistic philosophy of working with independent culture and art projects. She released three more albums in these two years. NUMINOSUM - an imaginary and dreamy musical journey based on the concept of "numinous conscious" used by Carl Gustav Jung. She combined her own lyrics with the poetry of Rumi. This album was recorded in Bristol
, UK with the post jazz group Limbo. Roger Mills and Osman Kent worked on the final edition, mixing, mastering and sound engineering of the album.
Before she set off for her advanced master study at the University of Padua
and the Technical University of Catalonia
, Mircan Kaia released her most avant-garde music project OUTIM - Once Upon a Time in Mingrelia, a multi disciplinary work combining journeys to Georgia and Eastern Black Sea
of Turkey, writing a book, constructing a house with local materials and carpenters, recording a music album using her own lyrics as well as the words of the Mingrelian poet Xhelimishi Xasani. OUTIM is aimed at contributing to a new alternative cultural conscious to the metropolitan values by turning out prototypes day-by-day. Music such as OUTIM will help overcome the rigid way of looking at and expressing folkloric values by bringing new colors to the folkloric scene. Such a way of looking could only be achieved from the metropolitan artists directed towards the local values.
In October, 2008, Mircan began working on an advanced master’s degree on historical artifacts with rotations in universities in Italy, Spain, Portugal
and Czechoslovakia
through a European Commission
grant. She also studied music theory
in England.
Currently, apart from coordinating engineering projects, she is working on a new album which brings together master musicians from different parts of the world based on the work of the Turkish female poet Gülten Akın
.
Mircan Kaya was awarded the best film music award at 47th Antalya International Golden Orange Film Festival in October 2010 with the music she has produced for the film "Kar Beyaz / White as Snow" directed by Selim Gunes. The scenario, which was written by the director Selim Gunes, is based on one of the writer Sabahattin Ali's story " Ayran". Mircan Kaya produced the film music in collaboration with musicians in Turkey, Australia and England. The music contains songs from her albums "Sala", "Outim","Numinosum", "Kul& Ashes" as well as two new songs she composed with the work of great living women poet of Turkey, Gulten Akin. 11
Mircan Kaya's most recent album "Elixir" was released in October 2010. The album was in the "Best of 2010" by the world music program "Crossing Continents" of California KDVS Radio, a program produced by Gil Medovoy.
Kül 2005
Sala 2006
Kül & Ashes 2006
Numinosum 2007
Outim (Once Upon a Time in Mingrelia)
Elixir 2010
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
of multi-cultural identity who has produced several widely acclaimed albums.
The first album she put out was Bizim Ninniler (Our Lullabies), a first of its kind, which was followed by Kül (Ashes). Mircan Kaya, who lives now for the most part in Istanbul
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...
, but has her roots in Mingrelia (in what is now the independent Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
), has become increasingly well known in recent years for her distinctive music; but she brings to the Turkish cultural scene much more than her music.
Her family comes from the Megrel-Laz ethnic group who migrated to 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...
from Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
, Georgia. After completing middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and graduating from Nisantasi Girl’s High School in Istanbul, she studied civil engineering at Yıldız Technical University
Yildiz Technical University
Yildiz Technical University is a technical university dedicated to engineering sciences and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Istanbul, Turkey. The central campus lies within the Beşiktaş district.-History:Yildiz Technical University has a distinguished history which began...
and completed a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
on earthquake engineering at Boğaziçi University
Bogaziçi University
Boğaziçi University is a public university located on the European side of the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey. It has five faculties and two schools offering undergraduate degrees, and six institutes offering graduate degrees...
in Istanbul. Her engineering career has had much success dealing with advanced, innovative engineering technologies. Operating her own engineering company, she acts as the representative of FIP INDUSTRIALE S.p.A based in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and has directed several important, international engineering projects. She was trained on advanced engineering and seismic technologies in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
as well as in Turkey.
She started singing very early, in infancy, preferring to sing adult songs, rather than those for babies and children. Singing with orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s in wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
ceremonies gradually became an ordinary activity for her. At an early age, her singing of classical Turkish music would produce smiles of surprise in her listeners. She has studied music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
with private music teachers and started performing in front of audiences as a child. She performed with the Classical Turkish Music Choir of the University for four years. She also performed and wrote songs with her band for six years during her university years.
She carved out a niche for herself on the music scene with the albums Bizim Ninniler and Kül, which she put out in 2005, as a result of which thousands of babies are sleeping with her healing voice singing lullabies
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
now. This album was the first in its genre covering traditional Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n lullabies. It was followed by another successful album - Kul & Ashes- with contemporary arrangements of traditional songs from Anatolia, Georgia and Bosnia. She was also invited to contribute an improvisational dirge
Dirge
A dirge is a somber song expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. A lament. The English word "dirge" is derived from the Latin Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam , the first words of the first antiphon in the Matins of the Office...
and lullaby for Bir Beyaz Ölüm, an album produced by the Ministry of Culture in commemoration of the soldiers who died at Sarikamis. Mircan's third album "Sala" received very good reviews from music authorities. The album was reviewed by FROOTS magazine and described as a Pre-Raphaelite tapestry, a genius work full of juxtapositions. The album actually represents the multi-cultural blend of Mircan's inner personality and her music which fits very well with the environment, combining many different elements such as geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s, tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
s, etc.
In 2006, she expanded the operational scope of her engineering company in advanced engineering and earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
technologies and founded UCM (UnCatalogued Music Production), which implements an idealistic philosophy of working with independent culture and art projects. She released three more albums in these two years. NUMINOSUM - an imaginary and dreamy musical journey based on the concept of "numinous conscious" used by Carl Gustav Jung. She combined her own lyrics with the poetry of Rumi. This album was recorded in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, UK with the post jazz group Limbo. Roger Mills and Osman Kent worked on the final edition, mixing, mastering and sound engineering of the album.
Before she set off for her advanced master study at the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
and the Technical University of Catalonia
Technical University of Catalonia
The Technical University of Catalonia , sometimes called UPC-Barcelona Tech, is the largest engineering university in Catalonia, Spain. The objectives of the UPC are based on internationalization, as it is Spain's technical university with the highest number of international PhD students and...
, Mircan Kaia released her most avant-garde music project OUTIM - Once Upon a Time in Mingrelia, a multi disciplinary work combining journeys to Georgia and Eastern Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
of Turkey, writing a book, constructing a house with local materials and carpenters, recording a music album using her own lyrics as well as the words of the Mingrelian poet Xhelimishi Xasani. OUTIM is aimed at contributing to a new alternative cultural conscious to the metropolitan values by turning out prototypes day-by-day. Music such as OUTIM will help overcome the rigid way of looking at and expressing folkloric values by bringing new colors to the folkloric scene. Such a way of looking could only be achieved from the metropolitan artists directed towards the local values.
In October, 2008, Mircan began working on an advanced master’s degree on historical artifacts with rotations in universities in Italy, Spain, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
through a European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
grant. She also studied music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
in England.
Currently, apart from coordinating engineering projects, she is working on a new album which brings together master musicians from different parts of the world based on the work of the Turkish female poet Gülten Akın
Gülten Akin
Gülten Akın is a female poet, born in 1933. Her poetry is considered culturally significant to Turkey.-External links:* at Lyrikline.org, with audio, Turkish text, and translation into German....
.
Mircan Kaya was awarded the best film music award at 47th Antalya International Golden Orange Film Festival in October 2010 with the music she has produced for the film "Kar Beyaz / White as Snow" directed by Selim Gunes. The scenario, which was written by the director Selim Gunes, is based on one of the writer Sabahattin Ali's story " Ayran". Mircan Kaya produced the film music in collaboration with musicians in Turkey, Australia and England. The music contains songs from her albums "Sala", "Outim","Numinosum", "Kul& Ashes" as well as two new songs she composed with the work of great living women poet of Turkey, Gulten Akin. 11
Mircan Kaya's most recent album "Elixir" was released in October 2010. The album was in the "Best of 2010" by the world music program "Crossing Continents" of California KDVS Radio, a program produced by Gil Medovoy.
Discography
Bizim Ninniler 2005Kül 2005
Sala 2006
Kül & Ashes 2006
Numinosum 2007
Outim (Once Upon a Time in Mingrelia)
Elixir 2010