#8 - Beliz

The new album Beliz by Olta Solidarity, a collective formed by independent musicians, is now available on all digital platforms. The Beliz album holds a particularly special place for the musicians involved in this solidarity effort.

When preparing a folk album, it is impossible to remain indifferent to the sorrows surrounding you. Indeed, during the making of Olta’s second folk album, events occurred that deeply affected both the country and the Olta Solidarity community. The first of these was the tragic loss of Yeliz Aykaç, who performed the folk song “Altın Tas” for the upcoming album. She passed away in a traffic accident in July, while her baby, Beliz, survived the accident with severe injuries. Meanwhile, the devastating wildfires that worsened in early August, coupled with the inadequate response from state authorities, resulted in an indescribable scale of destruction.

In light of these tragedies, the musicians dedicated the album to the collective grief experienced as a society, the resilience and solidarity that emerged from this destruction, Yeliz, and her baby, Beliz, who remains a beacon of hope for those she left behind.

The proceeds from Olta albums, which are entirely allocated to musicians and stage workers left unemployed during the pandemic, continue to support solidarity through music with this eighth album. Here are the musicians and songs featured in the new release: