Latif Bolat

Latif Bolat
Bio: 
I am a Turkish musician and scholar living in the USA and Turkey. As you can see from my short bio and from my Web site, I have been presenting traditional Turkish mystic Sufi music, poetry and educational lectures all across the States as well as England, India, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Turkey and many other international locations. I have published 4 CDs and a Turkish mystic Sufi poetry translation book titled "Quarreling with God" in the US (White Cloud Press, OR, 2007). In addition to a full evening concert, I also offer one or more lectures or workshops. That way we create a full cultural experience thru the concert and lecture-workshops. Lecture and workshop subjects such as: -A new perspective about Islam and Islamic mysticism (Sufism) -1000 years of Turkish Sufi practices: philosophy, music, poetry, dance and rituals -Turkish music genres and music theory workshop (makams) -Turkish and Ottoman History from Central Asia to Anatolia Please feel free to contact me at Lbolat@aol.com . You can also visit my Web site for any further promotional materials, some of my music, press clips, pictures and further information: http://www.latifbolat.com Sincerely yours, Latif Bolat ============================================================ LATIF BOLAT: Turkish Singer, Composer and Scholar of Turkish Music and Folklore ============================================================ Latif Bolat is a native of the Turkish Mediterranean town of Mersin. After receiving his degree in folklore and music at Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey, he taught traditional music throughout the country. He then went on to manage Ankara People’s Theater, a musical theater company, which performed traditional musical plays. Mr.Bolat also received further degrees in Turkish History and Middle East Religion and Politics from Ankara University and an MBA from San Francisco State University. His recent performance and teaching engagements include: * Educational concerts-lectures at Carnegie Hall in NYC. Soundtrack music for George Lucas Studios TV series "Young Indiana Jones". PBS documentary “Mohammed: Legacy of a Prophet”. * Released 4 successful CDs in the US, Co-authored the Turkish mystic Sufi poetry translations and anthology book: “Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Sufi Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey”. * Concerts and conferences at many institutions including, the United Nations, Oxford University, SOAS-London, Leeds University, University of California at Berkeley, Monash University in Melbourne, University of Chicago, Georgia Tech, UCLA, Stanford University, UC Santa Barbara, University of Southern California, San Francisco State University, University of Washington, Arizona State University, University of South Carolina, Claremont College, University of Colorado at Boulder, Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, Brigham Young University and many others. * The California Art Council rewarded Mr.Bolat with a grant for his contributions to the preservation of Turkish traditional music. Turkish Ministry of Culture sponsored his Turkish Sufi poetry translations project titled “Quarreling with God”. He also leads educational Cultural tours to Turkey for the past 10 years. Please visit his web site below for music, press reviews and other information. WWW.LATIFBOLAT.COM
Course of Life
Area(s) of Expertise: 
composer
Education: 
Ankara State Conservatory in Turkey
Politial Sciences and History at Ankara University
MBA at San Francisco State University
Area(s) of Interest: 
India
Traditional Sufi music of Turkey
Iran; Sufi poetry from Islamci world
Islamic History and architecture
Location
City or Town: 
Istanbul and Albuquerque
State or Province: 
New Mexico
Country: 
Turkey