TCCNJ Hosted a Musical: ‘Songs of Hope’ at Bergen County Academies
“Ümit Nağmeleri” ‘Songs of Hope’ began their U.S. tour with a large program held in New Jersey on October 12,2024. The “Songs of Hope” program showcased both joy and sorrow together.
Our Senior Director Dr. Erkan Ertosun, expressed his great pleasure in hosting the young artists, stating that four days earlier, they had the opportunity to host six of the performers for a dinner at their home. During the meal, one of the young artists mentioned, “Do you know why we are here for this program, why we are doing this? The Hizmet work and efforts you have been putting in for years are continuing. This work goes on, none of it was in vain, and we are here to convey this message,” Dr. Ertosun emotionally recalled.
Young Artists Begin with “Merhaba”
The young artists kicked off their performance with Zülfü Livaneli’s classic piece “Merhaba,” which the audience enthusiastically joined. Following that, two young singers, Mehlika and Mehtap, performed another piece by Livaneli, “Sürgün.”
They portrayed the injustices Turkish people has been facing in Turkey in recent times and depicted the experiences of the innocent people filling the prisons. The theatrical segments representing the “Medrese-i Yusufiye” ‘ School of Joseph’ concept received high praise from the audience. A particularly striking line from the play “Terrorist” left a lasting impression: “How can someone who has never thrown a bomb, never killed anyone, be called a terrorist?”
One of the most emotional moments of the program was when Fadime Güler’s farewell poem “Elveda” was recited. A religious culture teacher in Adıyaman, Fadime Güler was dismissed from her students due to a government decree and later succumbed to cancer. Struggling against both oppression and illness, she wrote the poem “Elveda” before her passing. Nurefşan’s recitation of “Elveda” moved the audience to tears as they remembered Fadime Güler, who left behind a grieving husband and two children.
Nicholas Bixa Hosts the Night
The evening was hosted by Nicholas Bixa, who is known from the Turkish Olympiads. His charming and humorous style while presenting won over the audience. At times, Nicholas shared his own story, making the crowd laugh with his Turkish jokes.
Turkey’s rich musical culture was performed by young talents who matched professional artists in skill. The young artists expertly performed songs like “Uğurlama” from Grup Yorum, “Dursun Zaman” from Manga, and “Kül” from Cem Adrian.
From Kyrgyzstan, Tariel recited Fethullah Gülen’s poem “Bir Yiğit Vardı” (“There Was a Brave Man”). Amin recited Necip Fazıl Kısakürek’s poem “Bizim Şarkımız” (“Our Song”), while Xhoni, nurtured on the stages of the Turkish Olympiads and IFLC, performed “Aşılmaz.” Tariel performed “Kendine İyi Bak” (“Take Care of Yourself”), taking the audience on a journey to Ahmet Kaya’s works, while Said performed “İtirazım Var” (“I Have an Objection”) by Müslüm Gürses.
It wasn’t just artists of Turkish origin who performed pieces reflecting Turkey’s cultural diversity. Amin and Said from Africa, Tariel, Ilyas, and Ayhan from Central Asia, Nurefşan from Germany, Mehlika and Mehtap from Canada, and Xhoni, Selma from Europe were part of the Ümit Nağmeleri lineup. Zülal and Vildan from the United States also participated in the performance.
Fethullah Gülen’s composed works followed the folk songs from different regions of Turkey. Young artists recited Gülen’s poem, “We Have Taken to Thorny Roads, We Will Not Turn Back.” The night ended with the performance of “Namın Duyulsun,” a song composed from Gülen’s piece “Bir Işık Sun” (“Offer a Light”).
At the end of the night, participants expressed that they found the program highly successful. They noted that Ümit Nağmeleri, through the universal language of art, did more than just perform songs and folk music, reaching a wider audience with the plight of the volunteers of the Hizmet Movement through art and music. At the end of the program, audience members took photos with the young artists and the host, Nicholas.
Following their performance in New Jersey, “Songs of Hope” is set to continue their tour with performances on October 13 in Washington DC, October 15 in Dallas, October 18 in San Francisco, and October 20 in Los Angeles.
