Europe Jazz Network
POZITIF PRODUCTIONS

OKAY TEMIZ & THE ROMANS For years a musicians' musician. Okay Temiz is now reaching a wider audience with his exciting, innovative percussion playing, and his unique approach to multi-cultural music. Okay Temiz is a classically trained Turkish percussionist raised in the tradition of Turkish folk music. Yet, having lived in Sweden for a long period, he became well-known for fusing Turkish folk with western jazz. Okay Temiz plays all kinds of percussion instruments that he has collected and built over the course of the years. Some of the exotic rhythm instruments he uses include quicca, berimbau, talking drums, kalimba, and his own sampler sound creation "the magic pyramid". Okay Temis has participated in more than 250 festivals, played about 3000 concerts, and is currently with the Romans (Turkish Gypsies prefer to be called Romans). Okay Temiz's band, the Romans, present their fiery brand of Turkish folk-beat with a savour of Africa and South America. The enchanting repertory of lyrical swinging improvisations is heightened by the instrumental variety provided by the clarinet, trumpet, kanun, drums and percussions. Separate percussionists playing in separate dimensions, in perfect harmony with melody and improvisation, create a sound that is on the foreground of today's World Music.

Europe Jazz Network