SEATTLE—On May 24, 2025, Anadolu Turkish Musicians delivered a stirring musical showcase at the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle, sharing the deep emotional spectrum of Turkish ceremonial traditions. Held at the Center Theater, the performance drew a full house, with many audience members standing at the doors to experience the moving repertoire.
The ensemble presented traditional songs rooted in Karşılama (greeting) and Uğurlama (farewell), capturing the emotional cadence of life’s major transitions: birth, love, military service, marriage, and death. These songs, steeped in centuries of Anatolian heritage, reflect the communal expressions of joy, sorrow, and hope across generations.
The event also featured a sema session, a spiritual ceremony performed by Mevlevi dervishes that combines music and a distinctive whirling dance. Symbolizing the soul’s journey toward divine love, the sema is both a meditative act and a form of worship within Sufi Islam.
As the final piece (a joyful wedding song) rang out, members of the audience spontaneously joined the performers onstage to dance, transforming the closing moments into a shared celebration.
The Anadolu Turkish Musicians’ showcase was not only well received but also served as a bridge between cultures, offering festival-goers a vivid glimpse into the emotional and spiritual fabric of Turkish life.
Turkic ChroniclE 