I've been intrigued by the Selda album cover for months and at the urging of a friend who recently listened to it, I decided to finally take the plunge. Within minutes of downloading the songs from iTunes, I was hooked and stayed up late into the night just to hear the whole thing. Selda defies description. She sounds traditionally Turkish, but progressive; sometimes psychedelic, sometimes heavy rock; sometimes folky–always exciting and interesting. Definitely one of the great finds of the year for me.
As a musician, Selda pushed boundaries using (then) cutting edge technology like synthesizers; in life she pushed the boundaries of a woman's role. Often her outspoken, independent lyrics landed her in serious trouble as her government feared she was inciting a working class revolt.
Even without knowing what those incendiary lyrics mean, you can hear the turmoil in her powerful voice, particularly on Ince Ince, an absolutely amazing track and possibly the best on an album full of greats. Selda opens with two of my other favorites, Meydan Sizindir and Yaz Gazeteci Yaz. This album seems to be garnering underground buzz with a new generation since its re-release by Finders Keepers in 2006.
I highly recommend you pick it up if you're a fan of inventive music; I can promise that you will not have heard very much to compare this awesome performer to.
But what do you think?