Üç Kiz Bir Ana

One year after their successful "Nem Kaldi" EP, Derya Yıldırım and her "outernational" outfit Grup Şimşek treat us with a one-off track, "Üç Kiz Bir Ana" – "Three daughters, one mother" – which will feature on the upcoming "Saz Power" vinyl compilation, due May 2018 on Ironhand Records.

With this heart-melting song, Derya & Grup Şimşek have taken their interpretation skills one step further, writing subtle arrangements that combine the traditional Bağlama (Turkish lute) with the electric vibrations of psychedelic guitars, organs, drums and synths. The bassline drives the music in the song's original 5/4 signature as the melodies develop until reaching a colourful climax.

Although the original source is still partly a mystery, the song is credited to poet Kurbani Kılıç and could refer to a true story in the village of Sarıkamış. A shepherd, too ill to go himself, sends his wife and three daughters off to the plateau. The narrator describes the three girls and their mother, waiting for the father to recover and join them, knowing they will most certainly never see him again.

The "Saz Power" compilation, featuring contemporary Turkish artists such as Baba Zula, Ozan Ata Canani & Grup Ses, Yasak Helva or Elektro Hafız, is due to come out in May on Ironhand Records.

Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek are preparing a single and an album (due for release in autumn/winter 2018) and will be touring across Europe throughout spring and summer 2018.