The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 5, 1991 Page 9

Turkish poetry is sung to life
by Michael Paul Fischer

What can grow in a stone heart?
ough the tongue may softly start,
ords of venom fume and rage
And they turn into war soon.
- 13th century Anatolian poet
Yunus Emre
When Turkish President Turgut
Ozal made his recent visit to the
]Jnited States, it was to discuss
matters of war rather than peace.
Turkey, surprisingly, had emerged as
S9major ally in the U.S.'s Gulf War
offensive against Iraq.
But to the legacy of the revered
mystic Emre - whose work Ozal
described as the peak of Turkish cul-
ture and civilization - the timing
of events is a sad commentary in-
deed. 1991 is the year designated by
the United Nations' UNESCO
committee as the International
Yunus Emre Love Year, in celebra-
Oon of the 750th anniversary of the
folk hero's birth.
The University's Turkish Stu-
dent Association has arranged an
impressive calendar of events for
April to commemorate the occasion.
On the heels of last weekend's
events - a concert by guitarist
Ozdemir Erdogan and films by
Turkish directors Livaneli and
'avuz Tugrul - singer and cul-
ral emissary Esin Afsar will be
performing the poems of Emre in
song Saturday night at Rackham
Auditorium.
Despite Emre's roots in the peas-
antry of 13th century Turkey, Afsar
should have no trouble communicat-
ing to an American audience. She
once performed, along with cabaret
legend Josephine Baker, at the behest
f Monaco's Princess Grace, and Af-
ar's global appearances since begin-
ning in 1969 - ranging from Israel
and Korea to the U.S.S.R. - have
earned her a distinction as Turkey's
diplomatic singer. Her current
group includes the instrumental
backing of piano, guitar, saxophone,
flute and percussion
Afsar's visit to Ann Arbor is
particularly appropriate because
#urkish scholar Talat Halman -
considered the world authority on
Emre's works - is currently work-
ing at the University, while on a
year's leave from New York Uni-
versity. He will introduce Afsar's
interpretations of Emre's honored
poems.
Halman maintains that the
poet's message is not lost on our
age. "Emre's humanism," he says,

For only $75, you can witness
the entire faculty of the School of
Music's Voice Department bite
the heads off live guinea pigs. This
combined with a black-tie reception
and performance of arias from
works such as Rossini's The Barber
of Seville, and Bernstein's West
Side Story, should make for an
unmatchable evening of
entertainment. If you're too cheap
to shell out these kind of bucks, you
can attend the performance only for
$12, or $5 with a student I.D. The
big show will run this Saturday at 8
p.m. at the Power Center. Call the
League Ticket Office for info.
Ken Weitzman stars, directs,
produces and writes S.N.A.G.
(Sensitive New Age Guy) in which
four character must overcome their
hair loss and their jealousy, define
politically correct sex, and grapple
with an addiction to a magic 8-ball
in their quest to become sensitive
new-age guys. Obviously, Weitzman
is very sensitive. After all, he gives
all the other writers, directors,
producers and actors a chance to
show their sensitivity and artistic
panache, right? The free performance
will run tonight at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
and 5 p.m. tomorrow in the Arena
Theater in the Frieze Building.
The University Men's Glee
Club will once again honor us with
their love of tradition and all men,
Saturday at 8 p.m. in Hill
Auditorium. Tickets are $8, $5, and
$3. Call 764-1448 if you want to be
witness to this, their 131st Annual
Spring Concert. Hurry folks, there
may not be another!
In a innovative, some might say
risque move, the Contemporary
Directions Ensemble will be

manufacturing new age compasses
featuring directions like
"Southnorth" ,"Eastwesterly," and
"up." These timely little gadgets
can be purchased during
intermission at the final
performance of their 1990-91
concert series. The group will
perform on Sunday at 8 p.m. in
Rackham Lecture Hall. Under the
extremely contemporary direction,
of H. Robert Reynolds, the
Ensemble will be perform its entire
concert upside-down.
Here's a puzzle for you: "The

Florence Diatessarn in Context:
Why its Sixteenth Century
Illuminations are Not Anique.' If
you can figure out how sixteenth
century art is n ot anti que without
the benefit of hearing AIkce Taylor
speak on the subjct, please call the
Daily for a prize to named later.
Taylor is a visiiwg assistant
professor from tie niv-rsity of
Chicago and will give a lecture on
Monday at 5 p.r. in Tappan I all,
Rm. 180. A reception will follow
at the Kelsey Musumi accompan ied
by refreshments o f iti ue rice-
cakes and 100 year-old scotb.


Singer Esin Afsar - who once performed at the invitation of the late
Princess Grace of Monaco - is putting the poems of ancient Turkish
mystic Yunus Emre into song on a timely world tour.

stands as a celebration of life and
love, as a monument to peace, as a
testament to the ideals of humani-
tarianism and the ecumenical spirit.
His exquisite poems offer a dra-
matic alternative to the war-mon-

gering spirit that has wreaked havoc
throughout history."
ESIN AFSAR performs Saturday at
Rackham Auditorium, at 7 p.m. $5
student tickets are available at
Ticketmaster and the door.

Jane's Addiction LIVE at Kalamazoo
Wings Stadium, Friday, May 10 at 8PM.
Tickets on sale now at all Michigan Ticketmaster 1ocaiions and the
Wings Stadium Box Office: TELECHARGE: Grand Rapi/K alamazo
(616) 456-3333. Lansing (616) 484-5656. Battle Creek x,6) 63-8080.
Detroit (616) 645-6666.

I E

'PELLEAS .ATD MELISANDE

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An adaptation of Maeterlinck's
classic love tragedy
Trueblood Theatre
Apr. 4 - 6, 11- 13 at 8 PM;
Apr. 7, 14 at 2 PM
Tickets: $9 general admission
Students $5 with ID at no' on
the League Ticket Office.f

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