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Yasam Hancilar

Yaşam Hancılar is a Turkish/Dutch jazz singer who is a devoted and passionate artist with many tangible qualities. He sings in a way that is charming you fully along. His elegant style, and his unique and warm sound that surrounds you simply brighten your mood. With his acoustic jazz quartet, he seeks for fresh, new, personal and creative ways of interpretation of the jazz standards and originals. Storytelling and musicality are the major characteristics of his choice of repertoire. After taking part in different projects in his musical journey as a singer and an instrumentalist, he founded his first jazz band Jazzmates at the beginning of 2007, in Turkey. That was the starting point of a successful jazz singing career, which leaded him to perform at clubs and festivals including International Istanbul Jazz Festival, Maastricht Jazz Festival, Nardis Jazz Club, Paradiso, Bimhuis amongst many others… He attended the 4th Nardis Young Jazz Vocalists Competition, in 2008, and he won the prize to represent Turkey in Estonia at 8th Nomme International Young Jazz Artists Competition, 2008.

He tours extensively with Yaşam Hancılar Band throughout The Netherlands, Turkey and Europe. Yaşam Hancılar’s debut album ‘Here’s To Life’ is released in December, 2012, and second album Strange Fish in 2017. His third album Rush Hour will be released on August 28th, 2020…

Awards

4th Nardis Young Jazz Vocalist Competition, 2008


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3
Album Review

Yasam Hancilar Band: Here’s to Life

Read "Here’s to Life" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Turkish vocalist Yasam Hancilar sings like an engineer. That should come as no surprise as he studied engineering before beginning his education and career as a jazz singer. It might be safe to assume that Hancilar is equally left- and right-brained, an assumption supported by his recording of standards, Here's To Life. Hancilar is uniquely analytical and creative as a musician. Supported by an international piano trio, Hancilar arranges ten tried and true standards, challenging their composition, intent, time signature ...

6
Album Review

Yasam Hancilar Band: Here's To Life

Read "Here's To Life" reviewed by Edward Blanco


A singer from Istanbul, Turkey and student in the Jazz Vocal Department of the Amsterdam Conservatory, Yasam Hancilar realizes a dream with Here's To Life, his self-produced debut album as leader fronting an acoustic quartet of young, up and coming players. A passionate jazz enthusiast who favors the mainstream, straight ahead sound, Hancilar reprises the music of such icons as Irving Berlin, Cy Coleman, Oliver Nelson and Antonio Carlos Jobim among others, in compiling a repertoire of eight familiar standards ...

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