Ş. ŞEHVAR BEŞIROĞLU and GONCA GIRGIN
1. Various, Kantolar
Kalan Music, 1998, compact disc.
One of the popular entertainment forms from the cultural changes of nineteenth century is the kanto, which was performed in nearly all secular entertainment settings. Kanto is an Ottoman derivative of the Italian word cantare, meaning to sing, and was adapted from an Italian theatre troupe that had visited Istanbul in 1870. After this date, both singing on stage while dancing and the songs specifically written for the purpose were called kanto (pl. kantolar). Kanto performances were initially linked to theatre pieces. Later they evolved into a musical form that could also be performed in non-theatre settings. This collection includes recordings date between 1905-1945.