Praised by fRoots Magazine as “A celebration of the cosmopolitan traditions of both Istanbul and the Sephardic Jewish community and another example of the great music that is coming out of the Eastern Mediterranean right now”, Light in Babylon brought to the world scene their first official album “Life sometimes doesn’t give you space” in 2012 and on November 2016 their new second album “Yeni Dunya” (which means in Turkish – New World).
Their project is the fusion of different ethnicities and cultures with the strength and openness of their youth and the various musical influences they have, they intuitively created a original colourful blend of their inner voices with flavours that would carry the imagination on a travel trough the Middle east and beyond.
What became the core trio of the band met in 2010 in Istanbul. Michal Elia Kamal, would writes lyrics, and arrangement and composition would be made by the trio including Metehan Çifçi (santour) and Julien Demarque (guitar). The trio now performs on stage with the support of two other musicians, the percussionist Stuart Dickson and the bassist Jack Butler.
Today the band continues its journey with the support of thousands of fans. They have toured in Turkey, Cyprus, Germany, Switzerland, France, Hungary, Greece, Finland, India… They also are getting more attention from media, they appear regularly on turkish TV Trt Haber DD and Trt Music, in a few documentaries about the Turkish music scene and appeared also on the german/french Arte Channel. Their youtube videos have millions of views.
As an example of the multicultural and alternative scene in the middle east, the band gives through music all the love that it carries in his heart to inspire individual healing with the wish that every human will follow the vision of a world full of diversity, freedom, peace and light.
Istanbul
Light In Babylon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
noshef dochef
Mabit be bemabat ayef
ani lo mechayechet
arpiach mul picheu hastav
ele marot hamaarav
elav ani lo shayechet
ve im oti ata ohev
veten li lalechet
beeretz shemesh rechoka
lecha Haiti mechaka
beshuvcha min hashalechet
ve Istanbul
ruedet
tire ani lo pochedet
nachon ani lo chayevet
leehov otcha
Sokaklar kalabalık
Biri itiyor, biri nefes alıyor
Yorgun bir yüzle insanları izliyorum
Gülümsemiyorum
Sonbahar çiçeklerine sis çökmüş
Bunlar batının manzaraları
Ben oraya ait değilim
Eğer beni seviyorsan
Özgür bırak beni
İzin ver gideyim
Uzaklarda güneşli bir yerde
Seni bekleyeceğim
Bana geri gelmeni
Sonbahardan
Ve istanbul –
Titriyor
Bak, ben korkmuyorum
Doğruyu söylüyorum, korkmak zorunda değilim
Ama sana hala aşığım
The song “Istanbul” by Light In Babylon describes the feeling of being lost in a big city, overwhelmed by the bustling crowds and unfamiliar surroundings. The lyrics describe the singer as tired and weary, observing the people around them with no emotion. The singer does not feel like they belong in the western world, and if the person they love truly cares for them, they should set them free so they can go to a sunny place far away and wait for them to return. The song portrays an atmosphere of longing, uncertainty, and hope for a better future.
The song also contains a reference to Istanbul, which can be interpreted as a symbol of the singer's desire for adventure and the unknown. Istanbul represents a place with a rich history and culture, and the singer wants to explore it despite feeling lost in their current situation.
Overall, “Istanbul” conveys a message of being lost and unsure but still hopeful for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Rechov tzafuf
The streets are narrow
noshef dochef
Crowded and bustling
Mabit be bemabat ayef
I look around, tired and breathless
ani lo mechayechet
I don't feel alive
arpiach mul picheu hastav
The mist covers the autumn flowers
ele marot hamaarav
These are the scenes of the west
elav ani lo shayechet
I don't belong here
ve im oti ata ohev
If you love me
geal oti min hakeev
Set me free
veten li lalechet
Let me go
beeretz shemesh rechoka
In a faraway sunny place
lecha Haiti mechaka
I'll be waiting for you
beshuvcha min hashalechet
When you come back from your journey
ve Istanbul
And Istanbul,
ruedet
Is trembling
tire ani lo pochedet
But I'm not afraid
nachon ani lo chayevet
I'm just telling the truth; I don't have to be scared
leehov otcha
But I'm still in love with you
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@balk5365
Türkçe Çevirisi;
"Sokaklar kalabalık
Biri itiyor, biri nefes alıyor
Yorgun bir yüzle insanları izliyorum
Gülümsemiyorum
Sonbahar çiçeklerine sis çökmüş
Bunlar batının manzaraları
Ben oraya ait değilim
Eğer beni seviyorsan
Özgür bırak beni
İzin ver gideyim
Uzaklarda güneşli bir yerde
Seni bekleyeceğim
Bana geri gelmeni
Sonbahardan
Ve istanbul –
Titriyor
Bak, ben korkmuyorum
Doğruyu söylüyorum, korkmak zorunda değilim
Ama sana hala aşığım"
@senaerkal3171
@travis bickle
the streets are crowded
someone is pushing, someone is breathing
I'm watching people with a tired face
I dont smiling
These are the view of the west
I dont belong there
If you love me
Let me free
Let me go
I'll be waiting for you
to come back to me
from the autumn
and istanbul,
shaking,
look ı dont afraid
I'm telling the truth, ı dont have to afraid
but I'm still in love with you..
@RobertoCarmona13
her voice should be recognized as WORLD cultural heritage right now
@anadd6195
Yes!
@franfran9569
Her voice and her soul ....don't forget it 😊
@nitishsharma882
Not a single word i could understand what she sings. Still I connect myself with the music divine she disperses. Light in Babylon u rocks here in India too!
@lightinbabylon
Thank you! By the way, if you are curious, you can find the lyrics in English of all of our songs on our website: www.lightinbabylon.com/lyrics
@nitishsharma882
Thank you! Will surely go through :)
@dogukanozyilmaz9140
insanın hayatını değiştirecek tarzdan insanlar bunlar kız Fars, asıllı gitar calan arkadaş Fransız, santur calan ise Türk. İstiklal caddesinde rast geldim onlara durdum gözlerimi kapattım ve sadece dinledim sanki bir dünya turuna çıkardılar beni.Müzisyen oldugumdanmidir nedir tanışmak konusmak istedim yaptıkları müzik gercekten büyüleyici geldi bana. Albümleri varmis aldım hemen bitane bütün şarkıları defalarca dinledim. Bu insanlar natural kalma peşinde kimseye eyvallah etmeden sadece yaptıkları muzikten zevk almak ve saygı görmek istiyorlar. Sokak muzisyenligi gerçekten saygı gormesi gereken bir yaşam tarzi. onlara iyi bakin..
@akashdas-pp3ko
trapora ta ya.
@tufanyolcu2990
Ne güzel yazmışsın be kardeşim. Ve hepsi çok doğru.. Kesinlikle öyle
@Adson_von_Melk
Fars değil, Iran asilli yahudidir.