Dogan Mehmet v Gypsyhead

Hobgoblin - HOBCDIOIO

www.doganmehmet.com

Born in Brighton, Logan is a second generation Turkish Cypriot and fluent Turkish speaker. Living in Sussex he has also been exposed to English folk music - and a seeming requisite of every new young performer - has studied a folk degree at Newcastle! This is his debut album.
It is described as a collection of traditional) and original songs and tunes drawn from Turkish and English traditions and given : highly original flavour by the unique and talented Dogan Mehmet'.
Dogan takes lead vocals and plays violin. He appears with his backing group 'The Deerhunters' - a 5 piece featuring bass, drums, guitars, mandolin and keyboards.
The opening track - and my favourite is 'The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies'. He gets a new take on it by adding an extra verse and incorporating the morris tune 'Cuckoo's Nest'. The vocal has a similar distortion to that used by Cher in Believe'! Other English trad songs are 'Seventeen Com' Sunday and 'The Royal Oak' - where English and Turkish ships fight each other! There are several self composed songs - including one about Brighton's West Pier which was destroyed by fire.
True to his roots, he also sings several songs in Turkish.
Is this the future of English folk music?

Ivan North.