Ode to Karsu | Domates, biber, patlıcan: an Ode to Karsu Dönmez

Dear Karsu,
 

I bring this tribute to you because you opened a world of music AND food for me.
 

Once, when I was young, my mother and I went to a concert of various artists in Paradiso. A singer, that was you, sang a well-known Turkish song. Domates, biber, patlıcan! Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant! A song about love and vegetables. The whole room sang along at the top of their voices and danced to the music. “We should go to this more often!” my mother said.
 

I had never heard of you, and at home I looked you up. Karsu, a Dutch-Turkish singer who puts Turkish folk songs in a new, jazzy jacket. I loved it. From home I knew mostly the old-fashioned, somewhat whiny Turkish folk songs. But this was totally different! My grandfather came to Holland in the 1960s when he heard about jobs and beautiful girls. He met my grandmother, a beautiful blond girl, and shortly after that my father was born. From our Turkish background we got mainly two things: food and music.
 

Some time later you were in the Small Hall of the Concertgebouw. Together with my mother we listened to your new album Play my strings. After that first concert of yours, I delved into Turkish music. From Anatolian psychedelic rock by the band Altın Gün to Turkish hip-hop, I now listen to everything. You opened up a world of music to me. In addition to a passion for music, you also have a passion for cooking. So it didn't just stop at singing about vegetables, since a few years you also have your own cooking program, Karsu's kitchen. When we cook together at home we often listen to your music.
 

You are an Amsterdammer, just like me. The city is your inspiration and part of who you are. Your career started in your father's restaurant in the Pijp area. Now you perform in front of sold-out venues all over the world. With a mix of Turkish folk music, jazz, and even Dutch schlagers, you appeal to a wide audience. For example, you sing Bariş Manço and Andre Hazes on the same night. As an encore at the Concertgebouw, you even sang “Aan de Amsterdamse Grachten,” a personal favorite. It was hilariously good and the whole hall sang along.
 

In a political climate where differences between cultures are especially emphasized, you are a paragon of connection. Not because you express yourself this way politically per se, but because you know how to touch many different people with your voice. You speak out on social media in Dutch, Turkish and English. In addition, you were an important voice after the terrible event of 2023, when a massive earthquake destroyed a large part of Turkey and Syria. You too lost many family members then. I greatly admire you for how you dealt with this grief and turned it into action. Here, too, you created a connection. You collected money, performed at a benefit concert and gave and received a lot of support from the Turkish community in the Netherlands and abroad. You also supported the victims with the sale of your cookbook.
 

By now you are a household name in our home. The song Karsu - Domates Biber Patlıcan is a standard song during cooking.
 

I bring this tribute to you Karsu, because you in turn bring a tribute to Amsterdam and the diverse cultures and music of our city.
 

Sevgiler, much love, Hannah

In part because of her commitment to victims, Karsu was voted Woman of the Year in 2023 by Harpers Bazaar. On the cover, she wore a beautiful dress by designer Mohamed Benchellal, which the Amsterdam Museum recently acquired. The dress is about the bridge between East and West, so it is a garment of connection.