YOL ft. Sevdâ Söğütlü | Labyrinth 26

Yol (Turkish for “path” or “journey”) is a live performance in which spoken word and Anatolian music come together. Drawing on her musical heritage, Sevdâ Söğütlü writes spoken word pieces that connect the past with the present.

The performance is both a tribute to the songs that have shaped her and an exploration of how music and poetry can create a space for encounter between generations and cultures.

Sevdâ Söğütlü is a spoken word artist and poet. She weaves themes of love, spirituality, and multilingualism into a poetic and fluid whole. She was runner-up at the Ghent Poetry Slam Championship and received the Personality Award at the Spoken Awards in Rotterdam. Through her poetry, she seeks to build bridges between words and music, across cultures and generations.

Hilde De Clercq is a Belgian musician and performer specializing in Turkish and Arabic music. She sings and plays a variety of instruments, including the darbuka, bendir, riq, oud, and piano.

Mevlüt Akgüngör developed a passion for music at an early age through his father, from whom he learned traditional and religious singing. He took saz lessons at De Centrale, but soon found his true instrument in the ney, the Turkish reed flute that plays a central role in both Ottoman makam music and the Sufi tradition.

İlhan Eken is a professional bağlama player. The bağlama is an iconic instrument of Anatolian folk and protest music.

Labyrinth Ghent is organised in collaboration with Labyrinth Crete, Codarts University of the Arts, and ArtConnects.