What happens when an ancient instrument of the Balkans and Anatolia enters into dialogue with jazz?
From Istanbul to Sofia — through the musical traditions of Anatolia and the Balkans — KAPIKO comes to In The Mood Jazz Club for the first time with music in which tradition is not a memory, but a living source of inspiration and a space for improvisation.
At the heart of this musical world stands the kaval — an instrument connecting cultures and geographical regions, which, in the hands of virtuoso Batuhan Aydın, becomes a bridge between ethnic music, contemporary jazz, fusion and world music.
Based in Istanbul, KAPIKO is a powerful fusion and progressive ethno/world jazz ensemble whose musical concept is centred around the traditional kaval of Anatolia and the Balkans. Their music combines a wide range of traditional and contemporary improvisational ideas, dynamic rhythms and compelling compositions. It is Batuhan Aydın’s distinctive approach to the kaval — blending traditional performance techniques with the language of modern jazz — that gives the band its recognisable musical identity.
“Over the course of NOVA’s eight tracks, Batuhan Aydın’s unique approach to improvisation — blending traditional Turkish and Bulgarian kaval techniques with concepts of modern jazz — creates a fresh new approach to fusion and ethno/world jazz.”
— Zekeriya Şen, music critic
In 2022, KAPIKO released NOVA, an album selected by the writers of Cazkolik, one of Türkiye’s leading jazz publications, as one of the best Turkish jazz albums of the year.
Across its eight compositions, the band moves freely between ethno/world jazz and fusion, placing the kaval in a musical context where tradition and modernity meet without boundaries. NOVA features new interpretations of Komitas Vardapet’s composition Gakavik and the Anatolian folk song Hele Yar, alongside fresh takes on Jaco Pastorius’s Reza and Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s Serenade to a Cuckoo.
A special place in KAPIKO’s story belongs to Viensko Horo — the single that marked the beginning of the band’s collaboration with outstanding Bulgarian drummer Stoyan Yankoulov – Stundji in 2022.
The piece brings progressive jazz-rock together with the rhythmic fire of the Balkans through a melody inspired by the spirit of the horo, Stundji’s powerful drumming, guitar, piano and Batuhan Aydın’s hypnotic performance, infused with the influence of the Bulgarian kaval tradition.
The title means “Viennese Horo” and recalls the way the composition came to life — created almost spontaneously by Batuhan Aydın and pianist Nikolaus Grill while touring in Vienna.
Viensko Horo is more than a melody — it is a meeting point of cultures and rhythms, a celebration of roots and the paths along which they continue to evolve.
On the In The Mood stage:
Batuhan Aydın — kaval
Nikolaus Grill — piano
Ali Kaan Uysal — keyboards and percussion
Neyzen Özsarı — bass guitar
Niclas Ciriacy — drums
This is music that draws no boundaries between the Balkans and Anatolia, tradition and improvisation, folklore and jazz. Instead, it naturally embraces the rich spectrum of influences that shape KAPIKO’s distinctive musical voice.
On September 26, the ensemble comes to Sofia for a special encounter with the Bulgarian audience, placing the kaval at the centre of the music — at times gentle, airy and almost meditative; at others sharp, energetic and rhythmically charged.
When joined by the freedom of jazz, the influences of world music and the temperament of the Balkans, the result is difficult to describe — it must be experienced.
Because of the boutique atmosphere and limited seating at In The Mood Jazz Club, KAPIKO will present their music in two consecutive concerts on the same evening — an Early Show at 7:00 PM and a Late Show at 9:30 PM.
Two opportunities to enter an extraordinary musical world where Istanbul, the Balkans and jazz meet in true symbiosis.