Ebru: “I have a Dutch mind and a Turkish heart”

“I’m a true love migrant,” Ebru begins. “Twenty-three years ago, I left Turkey for my husband Gerard.” A broad smile spreads across her face. “I met him on a plane, back when I was working as a flight attendant. He greeted me in Turkish – ‘merhaba’ – and later, during the landing, we happened to be seated across from one another. We spoke briefly. I liked him, but it wasn’t allowed to ask for someone’s contact details while on duty. Two weeks later, I received a letter. I immediately had a feeling who had written it!”

“In the end, we got married in the Netherlands. Afterwards, we held a big celebration in Turkey.” Naturally, an opening dance was a must. “We danced to You Are the Dream by Ilse DeLange.” After all, at a Turkish party, there simply has to be dancing!

9/8 rhythm

Ebru spent her entire childhood in the Thrace region, in north-western Turkey. “The locals call themselves the happiest people in the world.” She thinks it may well be due to the Balkan influences that characterise the area. “No matter how sad you feel, as soon as you hear Thracian music in its distinctive 9/8 rhythm, you simply have to dance. All your troubles vanish instantly!”

The music from the place where she grew up still holds a warm spot in her heart. “When choosing my five songs, I actually became a little emotional. I spent most of that time living with my parents and grandmother, and we had lots of neighbours. Everything was done together, from cooking to dining.”

Ebru explains: “The song I chose (Bekle by Kardes Türküler and Candan Erçetin) also has that 9/8 rhythm. But I also find the message very beautiful. It’s about not complaining, but simply carrying on.” She admits she hesitated over whether she should have gone for Guus Meeuwis instead: “Whenever I hear Brabant, I get emotional. I feel like a Brabander. I’ve lived most of my ‘conscious’ life here, so to what extent am I still truly Turkish?”

Setback

Ebru doesn’t find it difficult that she no longer lives in Turkey. “My husband actually came along just in time. I moved to Istanbul at eighteen to study. That same year my mother fell ill. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, which sadly took her life two years later. Those were very hard years, as in a short span of time I eventually lost both my parents, my grandmother, and my cousin.” She tried to escape all the misfortune. “I was really in need of something positive. And luckily, that’s when my husband came into my life.”

Bahçede by singer Sertab Erener takes her back to the time when her parents and grandmother were still alive. “It’s about a summer evening, about fireflies and the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine. I truly believe time travel exists, because whenever I hear that song, I see myself once again sitting in my grandmother’s garden. It’s no coincidence that I named my daughter Yasemin, after the scent of jasmine in the garden.”

“It will pass”

Four years ago, fate struck Ebru as well. “My mother’s illness also affected me. At the same time, the husband of a friend of mine fell ill. She told me they always danced to Geççek by Tarkan. In it, he sings ‘It will pass.’ Whether it’s a period of illness or the political situation, everything will eventually turn out fine. I’ve always held on to that.” Yet she now finds it difficult to listen to the song. “I recovered, but sadly my friend’s husband did not. He passed away. Now the song mainly makes me think of him.”

Merhaba

Ebru is also involved in the Merhaba Eindhoven festival at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. “I first became involved four years ago as a board member of TPNE. It’s wonderful that Merhaba is a festival where Turkish Dutch people can express themselves in their own language and culture. The community truly values that!” She is also proud of the festival’s name: “I believe I was the one who first suggested it. And of course, it’s extra special that ‘merhaba’ was how my story with Gerard began!”

She ends the conversation with her final song: Istanbul by Levent Yüksel. “He sings about the city as though it were a woman he loves. I believe Istanbul truly is the city where Turkish culture finds its fullest expression. And of course, Yüksel will also be performing at the festival in Muziekgebouw Eindhoven!”

On Saturday 22 November, the Merhaba Eindhoven festival takes place at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. Info & tickets at www.mge.nl/merhaba.