Naneli Lale

The literal meaning of “Naneli Lale” is “mint tulip” – an abstract concept in the Turkish language.

The ensemble, comprised of four Poles, derives inspiration from Ottoman classical music, using traditional Turkish instruments – rebab, oud, ney, kanun.

One of the most prominent sources of inspiration for Naneli Lale is the person of Santurî Ali Ufki, also known as Wojciech Bobowski – a musician, poet, painter and diplomatic translator who lived and created in the 17^th century in the sultan’s court. His youth was spent in Lviv, where he studied organ music. It was there that he was taken captive by Tatars and sold to the court of sultan Murad IV. His musical pieces have often been described as some of the most important in Ottoman music of the time. He composed an Ottoman Psalter, which consists of 34 hymns.

Naneli Lale will let us hear classical Ottomon instruments – rebab (a rarity even in Turkey), riqq, daff, tar (drums), kanun (the zither of the Middle East), oud (lute), ney (flute), and even duduk (oboe). One of the Polish elements used by the ensemble is a folk instrument called suka. It is played using an old technique which involves the fingernails, which is present in the area of the former Ottoman Empire, for example in Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria. It is one of few things which Poland has in common with Eastern music