￥The Splice Sacred Instruments by Gio Israel is the newest culmination of recordings made in special locations around the world. Capturing unique and rare sounds, this pack focuses on ritualistic instruments, some of which has been used for centuries to gather people and elevate the human spirit.

 

The instruments recorded here include the rare Turkish Oğur saz (or Ogur sazi), a special form of the traditional saz, designed by Turkish master Erkan Oğur played here by Ogur’s disciple Gilad Weiss. Only a handful of these instruments exist in the world today.

 

Oğur designed and derived the six-stringed kopuz (Ogur Sazi) with inspiration taken from the three stringed kopuz, also known as three stringed cura in the Teke peninsula. Further inspiration was also drawn from the lute, played in the Baroque and early Renaissance period, as well as classical guitar.

 

Kopuz, whose history is dates back to 6000 BC, was thought as a sacred instrument by the societies it belonged to. It has been played in the region ever since, evolving with the music to include more strings and frets, which were added with time and during the transition from nomadic to settled lifestyle.