MMI Recordings Launches 'Mediant Collective'
Mediant Collective album cover
The Mediterranean Music Institute (MMI) launches their fall 2016 MMI recording of student band the Mediant Collective. This band was born out of a collaboration between Turkish vocalist/oboist Elif Çakmut, Greek lutist Vasilis Kostas, and Israeli guitarist Gilad Barakan. The three musicians possess strong regional identities and bring their cultures together by shining a new light on their close, yet very different, traditional folk music.
Greek lutist, guitarist, and composer Kostas is an extraordinary young musician whose compositions include potent melodic themes that draw from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean musical traditions. Turkish oboist and singer Çakmut offers a unique sound, bringing together her classical and jazz training into the melodic traditions of the east. Rounding out the trio, Israeli guitarist Barakan has achieved excellence both as a composer and a guitarist versed in many styles. This combination allows the Mediant Collective to give an innovative, new sound to their Mediterranean, folk-rooted compositions.
With the support of the MMI, in June 2016, the Mediant Collective toured Turkey, Greece, Israel, and Spain, where they offered more than 12 critically acclaimed concerts and clinics.
Watch and listen to the studio recording of one of the album's tracks:
The MMI Recordings are part of an initiative with the goal of supporting both Mediterranean music and our outstanding students as emerging artists in these rich traditions. The initial release of each album includes 100 copies that the artists will use to promote their music and pursue their musical careers. You can listen to the albums here.