Ozan Ata
Canani &
Die Demokratie
Concert
in the frame of program focus
»5 Jahre nach Hanau«
“Jedem ist doch klar, vom Himmel fiel sie nicht, die Demokratie” (Everybody knows that democracy didn’t just fall from the sky), sings Ozan Ata Canani in the title track of his new album: “Auch zum Nulltarif gibt es sie nicht, die Demokratie” (Democracy Doesn’t Come for Free Either). It has been 50 years since Ata Canani composed his first songs on the bağlama, thus shaping Turkish rock’n’roll with German lyrics.
His socio-critical songs addressed discrimination and the harsh living conditions of Turkish “guest workers.” During that time, Ata was also a member of the seminal band “Die Kanaken,” to whom the legendary founder of Anadolu rock, Cem Karaca, belonged, who was then living in exile in Cologne.
After years of relative obscurity, the song “Deutsche Freunde” catapulted him back into the spotlight of the music-loving public in 2014 as one of the outstanding tracks on the groundbreaking compilation »Songs of Gastarbeiter«. Ata’s debut album »Warte mein Land, warte« (Wait, my Country, Wait) was released in May 2021 after a career spanning almost 45 years and was highly acclaimed by critics. In June 2025, Ata Canani released his new album »Die Demokratie« (Democracy), which he now presents live with the band of the same name.
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