'Macondo' by Alper Tuzcu. From his latest EP: 'Imagina'

'Macondo'
Written and Produced by Alper Tuzcu
Clarinet: Jose Ignacio Santos (Dominican Republic)
Percussions, Drums, Bass and Guitar: Alper Tuzcu (Turkey)

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, and GRAMMY Voting Member Alper Tuzcu is releasing his new EP Imagina via Palma Records on May 29, 2020.

Imagina is part two of a three-parts EP series by Alper Tuzcu, following ‘Migrante.’ While ‘Migrante’ was driven by flamenco, fado, and the poetry of Pablo Neruda, Imagina is inspired by fictional towns from the novels of Gabriel García Marquez, soundscapes of Barcelona, percussions from the Andes mountains, and Turkish folk melodies from Tuzcu’s native land. Like ‘Migrante,’ Imagina features a select group of musicians who are alumni of Berklee College of Music, from countries such as Italy, United States, Peru, Argentina, Dominican Republic, and Turkey.

The EP is comprised of three compositions and creates an intimate and inspiring experience for people inside their homes, inviting listeners to imagine the world beyond themselves.

‘Macondo,’ which is named after the fictional town in García Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, brings together Turkish folk melodies with clarinets inspired by Colombian folklore. The rhythm section features bombo drums from Argentina, 2-3 Cuban clave, Tuzcu’s tremolo guitars, and an upright bass.

’Deseo’ is a 3/4 ballad composed in Barcelona in 2019. Influenced by the soundscapes of the chic, hip, and historic culture of the Gracia neighborhood, with its rustic coffeehouses, old bookstores, and modern design stores, the song almost sets the tone of the EP.

‘Babel’ is a composition influenced by traditional Turkish melodies with a Latin Jazz rhythm section. Moreover, the guitar and saxophone solos take inspiration from the modern jazz sound of Brad Mehldau and Herbie Hancock. The composition switches from 5/8 to 6/8 to a 4/4 Bolero-Bossa Nova rhythm.

Imagina was originally envisioned to be a completely acoustic EP, but due to the current circumstances only part of the sessions could be completed. Encouraged by the success (especially in Latin America) of his 2019 Bossa Nova single ‘Felicidade,’ which gained over 200,000 streams on Spotify, Tuzcu used data from streaming services like Spotify, to analyze which instruments could be used as digital samples to complement the rest of the EP. By making use of data, he made his creative decisions to complete the arrangements on Imagina.

Alper Tuzcu is an innovative composer, guitarist, and producer. A GRAMMY Voting Member, he previously worked twice with Spanish flamenco virtuoso, producer and composer Javier Limón (Buika, Paco de Lucía, Wynton Marsalis). He released his second album Aurora from Palma Records in 2018, and his debut album Between 12 Waters in 2016, which consists of 12 songs inspired by 12 different cultures. The Istanbul-born composer, who lives in the United States, uses his multicultural compositions to bridge cultures and cross borders. Alper Tuzcu graduated from Berklee College of Music with Magna Cum Laude in 2015 after winning a scholarship at Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy.