Radyo Yaren

Turkish folk radio usually means one of two things: dusty archives or wedding-hall türkü. Radyo Yaren sits closer to the second, and mostly that's a compliment. The bağlama is front and center here, long-necked and twanging through bozlak from Central Anatolia, then sliding into Black Sea kemençe and tulum when the mood turns. You'll hear Aşık Veysel's grave, patient recordings sitting next to Neşet Ertaş, and the station doesn't shy away from Selda Bağcan's sharper, more political side either. Younger listeners might catch Erkan Oğur's fretless guitar experiments tucked between the standards.…