"The multiculturalism is not touristy, but rather sophisticated, informed, internalized" The Boston Globe
EPK for the album entitled “An Elegant Ritual” – official release date July 16, 2021. This trio album is modeled after the structure of a Sufi whirling (Mevlevi) dervish ritual (ayin), with influences from John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”.
EPK for the album entitled “The Rise Up” – official release date August 21, 2020
“THE RISE UP: Stories of Strife, Struggle and Inspiration ” is an extended programmatic piece composed by Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol for jazz orchestra.
I grew up in Turkey playing classical and Jazz piano while championing Western ideals. However, all of what I thought to be true was defeated by a simple Turkish folk song 7 years after my arrival in the US, which sparked a curiosity that resulted in a decade long period of internalization of Turkish music, history and culture. From this decade, I feel that I came out as a composer who can ‘speak’ multiple musical languages by not reducing or standardizing but fully honoring them.