Karsu

On April 4, 2027, Karsu will perform at De Doelen in Rotterdam. The Amsterdam-based singer, pianist and songwriter of Turkish descent has been developing a sound for years in which jazz, pop and soul converge with Anatolian traditions. She found her first stage in her parents’ restaurant, later appeared on TV and has played internationally, from North Sea Jazz to venues in New York and Turkey.

Live, Karsu presents her own compositions alongside reimagined covers, often sung in Turkish and English. Her piano playing forms the heart of the songs, supported by band interplay and arrangements that are simultaneously contemporary and jazzy yet broadly pop-oriented. This evolution can be heard on Live aan ’t IJ (2010), Confession (2012), Colors (2015) — which features more pop textures and subtle electronics — and the eponymous Karsu (2019), where ballads, rhythmic numbers and Turkish influences coexist. Expect a set that moves between moments of stillness and groove, multilingual and firmly rooted in her dual background.