The loves of the Bedouin poet Qays and the beautiful Layla (their names vary from one country to another) have long accompanied the caravans along the Silk Road.  It is one of the most famous legends of Islamic civilisation: Qays would give the fragile Layla the surname "Majnun", Layla "possessed by madness", condemned to lose her wits after being denied her love. With a voice that captures the myriad eastern accents of Istanbul, her musical homeland, the young Turkish singer Gülay Hacer Toruk guides us on this musical journey, accompanied by Middle Eastern percussion  and the vielle, an instrument dating from the middle ages.

Gülay Hacer Toruk song, bağlama and percussions
Aliocha Regnard nyckelharpa, fidula
Ismaïl Mesbahi oriental percussions

Ramdesh (Aliocha Regnard)
"L’amoureux tel Medjnoun errant dans les déserts"

Bugün benim efkarim var (Asik Özlemi)
"Ne touche pas destin ne touche pas à ma rose"

Cikar yücelerden (traditional turkish)
"Ma Leyla se réveille, les yeux encore ivres, elle me remplit la coupe de ses douces mains"

Zourouni (Sayyed Darwich)
Rends moi visite une fois l’an"

Cigdem der ki (Asik Veysel)
"Montagnes bleues au printemps alezans, celle que j’aime pleure en pays lointain"

Sareri hovin mernem (traditional Armenian)
"Cela fait un an que je ne t’ai pas vu, les fleuves n’apportent plus ni d’eau ni de tes nouvelles"
 
Dost baginda/ Mihribanim (traditional azéri)
"Les filles, la rose dans les cheveux, viennent danser"
 
Danse nomade (Aliocha Regnard)

Naghmeh Esfahan (traditional persian)             
"Ivre d’amour"

Üsküdar’a gideriken (traditional turkish)
"Amour contre vents et marées"

Laili jaan (traditional afghan)
"Leyla aimée, tu as dévasté mon cœur"