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A r t s

When not writing and teaching, Mehmet Karabela produces music and dance. He has collaborated with Arab, Austrian, Balkan, German, Indian, Persian, and Turkish musicians. He is inspired by various songwriters, composers, and performers such as Leonard Cohen, Giora Feidman, Manos Loizos, Lata Mangeshkar, Vagif Mustafazadeh, Mansour Rahbani, M. Reza Shajarian, Hani Shenouda, Onno Tunç, Ustad Jalil Zaland, and the Man in Black.

In collaboration with Canadian dancers, Karabela produced choreographies, such as Masar, a story of four small town girls; and Cem Zizim: When the Past Meets the Present, a story of the 15th century Ottoman Prince who lived in exile in Egypt and Europe. Karabela integrates historical and religious motifs into the dance productions not only for their historical or liturgical significance but also for their dramatic power. Dance productions he produced included ballet and tap dance—sometimes with a Spanish Flamenco flavour or Sufi whirling dervish twist.

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