Deniz's love for Greek music

From an interview about Greek folk music and Rebetika

Dionysis Goularas & Gökçe Bayındır Goularas, March 2010

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Deniz Övünç:

“I had a deep interest in Greek music since my childhood probably because my paternal grandmother and her family were immigrants from Hania, Crete. My grandmother’s native language was Greek and I remember her speaking Greek with her relatives especially when they did not want us, the children to understand  what they talked about. I discovered Muammer Ketencoglu in 1993 when his debut album Sevdalı Kıyılar- Latremena Akrogalia was released. It had contained Greek songs which I liked very much. Years later, in 2002 we met. I was still working as a lawyer in Istanbul then. Gradually I was drawn into “singing” professionaly which was a dream come true. My debut appearance on stage was in Istanbul in 2004, as accompanist to the famous Greek singer Aliki Kayaloglou.

I have been singing Greek folk songs, Smyneikas and some Rebetikos with Muammer’s ensembles for five years. Some of the songs I sing are, Mortissa Smyrnia, Ti Girevi Tetya Ora ( Mouhrizelis) , Mia Smyrnia, Melahrino Mou Prosopo, Georgitsa, Trive Spango, Milo Mou kai Mandarini, Efiges ena vradhi ( by Psarandonis), Gliko Fili ( K. Scarvelis), Alexandriani Felacha ( D. Semsis) etc.

I wrote the lyrics of the song Gül Kokusu in Muammer Ketencoglu’s new album called “The Traveler”. Our Greek friend, film director, lyric writer Giorgos Kordellas liked the song very much and wrote Greek lyrics to it named Ta Xelidonia. And I sang the same song in Turkish and Greek as Gul Kokusu and Ta Xelidonia in the album.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDnFohVaAyI


DENIZ OVUNC
She was born in Balıkesir- Turkey. She graduated from The Faculty of Law of İzmir Dokuz Eylul University. Raised in a music loving family, her musical talents were first noted by her mandolin teacher in primary school and she went on to sing in the school choruses as a soloist and a chorist throughout  her education period.
Deniz began taking lessons from Muammer Ketencoglu  and thus stepped into professional musical life.  Her debut appearance on stage was in Istanbul in 2004, as accompanist to the famous Greek singer Aliki Kayaloglou.
In 2005, she contributed to the foundation and repertoire research of Muammer Ketencoglu’s Women’s Voices Ensemble, where she currently performs as a chorist and soloist. In 2007  she participated in Muammer Ketencoglu’s Zeybek Ensemble which performs Greek and Turkish folk songs and dance tunes from Western Turkey . That same year, she took part in the preparation of Muammer Ketencoglu’s album Izmir Hatirasi/ Smyrna Recollections and featured in the album as soloist in the folk song “It’s been six months since I crossed this mountain”.
Since May 2008, Deniz Övünç has performed as one of the soloists in the ensemble Muammer Ketencoglu & Balkan Journey. With her brilliant lyric voice, she has a unique style of singing, especially suited to the Ottoman influenced Balkan songs.