PANDAwomen #7: Turkey

In the organizer's words:

This event is part of the PANDAwomen 2025 Festival.

PANDAwomen closes its 2025 edition with a vibrant night of Turkish voices — curated around the interplay of sound, gesture, memory, and reimagination. The evening begins with a warm and intimate set by musician and curator Güley Alagöz, and continues into multidisciplinary territories with İrem Nalça’s performative take on shadow and identity. Pina Berlin fuses jazz and old Turkish songs into an urban fantasy of 1990s Istanbul. Finally, ILÆY — one of the most striking new voices in avant-pop — takes the stage for a closing set that merges drama, electronics, and vocal poetics.

Programme:

Opening Set

Güley Alagöz

Singer, guitarist, and event curator Güley Alagöz opens the evening with a set rooted in jazzy and turkish melodies — drawing on classical guitar, integrating dark vocals and spheric textures into her music.

Performance

İrem Nalça

Multidisciplinary artist İrem Nalça explores the theme of shadow — both literal and metaphorical — in a piece inspired by the traditional Turkish shadow theatre Karagöz. Her performance combines movement, text, and visual cues to tell a story of presence and absence.

Music & Movement Set

Pina Berlin

“What if Norah Jones and Led Zeppelin collaborated in 1990s Istanbul?” This is the playful, poetic question behind Pina Berlin’s work — a hybrid of song, improvisation, and physical performance that bridges nostalgia and invention.

Avant-Pop Concert

ILÆY

Known for her powerful stage presence and genre-defying sound, ILÆY closes the festival with a set that merges electronic beats, expressive vocals, and theatrical storytelling. In September, she starred as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Komische Oper Berlin.

Curated by Güley Alagöz

Singer, guitarist, and founder of the concert series Afterdark, Güley blends jazz vocals and swing rhythms with classical influences. She lives and works in Berlin, curating musical encounters across cultures.

Artists:

İrem Nalça

Interdisciplinary performer exploring memory, language, and visibility. Her works are inspired by remnants of new circus, carnivals, and meddah; wanderer storyteller tradition of Anatolia. Based in Istanbul.

Pina Berlin

Musician, performer, and singer-songwriter creating theatrical jazz & pop fusions with emotional depth and improvisational spirit. Her pieces explore themes such as human interaction and self-discovery, striking a balance between self-reflection and motivational messages.

ILÆY

Singer, performer, and composer. With roots in Istanbul and a base in Berlin, ILÆY’s music moves between avant-pop, electro-ballad, and contemporary opera. A magnetic performer on both stage and screen.

Admission: 20 euro online  |  25 euro doors