Derya Yıldırım is singing the song her grandmother used to sing — an old Anatolian folk
standard called “Hop Bico”, which roughly translates as ”Hop Around Bico”. But the
version Derya’s grandmother sang was different — she’d put her own slant on it. And
Derya’s is different still — brought into the 21st century with a slow psychedelic twist and
her own hypnotic vocals. This is by design. Derya insists that if you’re going to play an
old folk song then you have to contribute something new, “otherwise you might as well
just put the old record on.”
Born in Hamburg, Germany to Turkish parents, she grew up influenced by her family’s
Anatolian background and the myriad of cultures in the city. Derya’s musical roots
started at home playing folk music with family members. Her father pushed her to learn
various instruments, beginning with the bağlama, a seven stringed Turkish lute. Then
she picked up the guitar, piano, and saxophone.
Although she is a multi-instrumentalist, Derya always felt drawn to the sound of the
bağlama - “there’s just something very magical about it”. With her band Grup Şimşek’s
forthcoming album Yarın Yoksa, which translates to If There’s No Tomorrow, Derya
continues her journey revitalizing Anatolian folk music and instrumentation by infusing
timeless melodies with a modern psychedelic flair.
Ten years ago, while participating in a community theater project, Derya met French
musicians Graham Mushnik and Antonin Voyant from Catapulte Records and formed
the band Grup Şimşek with Helen Wells, a drummer from Cape Town, South Africa
joining in 2021. While the band is truly international, they eschew the term ‘world music’,
preferring instead ‘outernational’ which they say suggests a sound that’s more inclusive
or “beyond borders.” DY&GS embody what defines Anatolian folk music — “You need a
groove and a melody, and everything around it is free.” It’s this ethos that guides the
band’s songwriting and the way they take on Anatolian folk standards. “I believe the
melodies shouldn't be changed because we are responsible to preserve music in the
correct way. Our versions respect the roots. It’s the same lyrics and melody, but it has a
different soul maybe.” While it’s easy to think of folk music as a music of the past, she
insists it’s just as important today. “Some of these poems were written hundreds of
years ago but they’re still relevant. This music is so important because it remains the
voice of the people, the minority, and the oppressed.”
After self-producing multiple albums, they signed with New York’s Big Crown Records in
2024 and teamed up with Grammy-nominated producer Leon Michels (El Michels Affair)
for Yarın Yoksa. The new album embodies their balance of preservation and innovation
across nine original compositions and three traditional folk songs. It is a record that will
enchant any listener regardless of language barrier with Derya’s passion and
authenticity front and center and music too moving to deny. Yarın Yoksa is sure to
captivate the hearts and minds of all those who hear it, and just wait til you experience
them play it live…