Bellapais rings with the sound of music
BELLAPAIS Abbey rang with the sounds of music and poetry, at a recital to raise awareness and money for the Lefkoşa Turkish Municipality (LTB)run women’s refuge.
Last Saturday’s event, organised by Oya Kutsal, an English teacher at Girne’s Anafartalar High School, saw more than a dozen volunteer musicians, singers, poets and dancers perform to an audience of around 200, including Labour and Social Security Minister Zeki Çeler, Girne Mayor Nidai Güngördü and his Lefkoşa counterpart, Mehmet Harmancı. Opening proceedings, Ms Kutsal spoke of the battle women face to secure rights which should be protected by the law, and said she hoped the state would set up a system whereby those guilty of violence against them would be prosecuted for a “crime against humanity”. She thanked the Tourism and Labour ministries and Girne and Lefkoşa municipalities for their support, along with various backers.
Performers included soprano Vasfiye Çakırtaş, violinist Dr Alev Müezzinoğlu, guitarist Ogan Güntem and pianists Prof Cevanşir Guliyev and Özgen Özyönüm. Hasan Günyüz, Zeki Karahanoğlu, Ali Denker and Serpil Umaç of the Mediterranean Tango Academy performed a dance show, as did Near East University’s Modern Dance Group and Ayşegül and Raşit Türkeri from TangoSiempre. There were poetry recitals by Ms Kutsal, Bedia Balses Çeliker, Serkan Soyalan and Filiz Yuvalı, and the show wrapped up with a performance by the Cyprus Folk Songs Association.
Afterwards Ms Kutsal thanked all who had given their time for free to contribute to a “beautiful evening” and said the funds raised would be handed over this week.
“Among all the events held for International Women’s Day, I wanted to make a contribution too and I knew my friends who are also artists would want to support it,” she explained.
“By joining forces it turned out to be an amazing night for a very good cause, mainly raising awareness that there is a refuge for women which is in need of public support, whether financially or to help with other requirements.”
She added that a second event for the refuge would follow soon.