Mehmet Polat Quartet – Embodied Poetry
If you haven’t explored the spiritual Alevi, Anatolian and Ottoman sounds of the Ud instruments, then Mehmet Polat is your best possible introduction. As a composer, bandleader and soloist, he toured through Africa, the Balkans, and performed in India and Persia. Continuously looking for new paths and inspirations, he combines genres from these corners of the world with a love of modern music, jazz and improvisation. He added two extra bass strings to his Arabic lute to increase his instrument’s reach, and developed new techniques for his left hand.
To bring his music to his audience, Polat found young virtuosic musical soulmates including Spanish pianist Adrián Moncada.

Mehmet Polat, ud
Adrián Moncada, piano
Daniel van Huffelen, bass
Nikos Tessalonikefs, drums