This is a story comes from East, which proves that music unites all the people. It doesn’t matter its origin, because music is a national language that doesn’t need any qualifications.

The ensemble Yansımalar was formed by Aziz Şenol Filiz and Birol Yayla in 1990 and reached its audience with the first album called “Yansımalar” in 1990. The ensemble  has a motto “focus on simplicity, peace and inner journey, instead of complexity of everyday life” and it has been well adopted by the music-lovers ever since its establishment.

 From 1999 to 2010, Filiz and Yayla presented more than 200 music shows called “Reflections from Tradition to the Future” on different TV channels. They hosted many instrumental artists of Turkish classical music, jazz, choral music and Turkish folk music. Meanwhile, they released four more albums: “Serzeniş” (2000),  “Vuslat” (2001), “Pervane”(2004), “ MEKTUP” (2013).

 Among the traditional Turkish musical instruments most frequently used by Yansımalar are ney, tanbur and kanun. By using these traditional music instruments along with the frequent incorporation of modern ones, Yansımalar has kept its position as one of the best instrumental music bands of Turkey and expanded its sound to USA, Germany, Italy, France, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Egypt, Algeria, India, Sudan, Bahrain and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

 In a short break of their concerts, Aziz Şenol Filiz and Birol Yayla speaks at Culture Press about Yansilamar and their music.

-How was Yansımalar created?

Yansimalar: Everything started with the artistic and personal meeting of the two of us in our conservatory years in the 80’s. My approach to Ney and Birol Yayla’s compositions created a new expression and it developed throughout the time until today.

-Why did you name your group Yansımalar?

Yansimalar: Yansımalar (Reflections) was the name of our first album.

After that, our listeners started to call our music by this name. The idea of the music’s reflection from past to the futur made this name permanent for the group.

-In your opinion which is the most important moment of your group through the years?

Yansimalar: Probably the first album. Because at the beginning of the 90’s release an instrumental album was not taught by anyone. The first album gave the opportunity to pursue our career and meet with our listeners.

-You play ney. Could you tell us its dynamic as a musical instrument as far as it concerns your music?

Aziz Şenol Filiz: Ney is an old and traditional instrument, which was used in different forms in the Turkish Classical Music. Even though  I finished my ney education in the traditional style, for our group I created a new one and used it in our music. So, ney became the voice and the soloist of our group.

-As a group you have composed the music of the movie "The Last Ottoman ". How difficult is to compose music for a film?

Birol Yayla: I wrote music not only for the movie “The Last Ottoman” but also for other tv series, documentaries and theaters. As a person who writes generally based on his emotions and taught, it was really different to write something ordered for a specified theme. My musics for movies are based on the timeline which the plot belongs, emotions of characters and the action. Even tough sometimes I find it difficult, I think it develops my writings skills.

-They describe your music as contemporary ethnic or world music. Do you believe in categorization of music types?

Yansimalar: In the past centuries music was coming out with the impact of some philosophical movements. Those movements were not only effecting music but also painting, poetry and literature. By the end of the XXth century and in  XXIst century  some personal approaches came out . We are talking about our time and our stories with our music. For that reason we don’t believe in categorization of music types.

-What are your future plans?

Yansımalar: As we did until today, we want to continue to our journey with our thoughts and musical choices.

The ensemble  Yansımalar consists of:

Aziz Şenol Filiz  (Ney)

Birol Yayla (Tanbur & Guitar)

Cem Tuncer (Guitar)

Erdal Akyol  (Double bass)

Pınar Bayraktar (Cello)

Ediz Hafızoğlu (Drum & percussion)