Crossing The Bridge: The Sound Of Istanbul review

Sezen Aksu, Erkin Koray and Orhan Gencebay aren't names that exactly trip off the tongue. But each makes a telling contribution to this fascinating documentary on the sonic milieu to be found in Turkey's largest city.

Directed by Head-On's Fatih Akin, Crossing The Bridge follows German bass player Alexander Hacke as he documents the incredible musical diversity of Istanbul's exotic Beyoglu district. Some discoveries, like the psychedelic rock of Baba Zula and the hardcore hip-hop of Ceza, sound familiar to English ears; others, like the gypsy clarinet of Selim Sesler and the spine-tingling solos of Kurdish warbler Aynur, less so. Put together, though, they make up a beguiling aural collage of eclectic artists who defy Hacke's attempts to pigeonhole them.