Rumeli Türküleri
Songs connected with Rumelia and the European regions of the former Ottoman world, reflecting musical relationships between Anatolia and the Balkans.
Short bio
Duygu & Friends is a San Francisco Bay Area ensemble co-founded by Duygu Gün and Peter Bonos, performing music from Turkey, Anatolia, the Balkans and the wider Mediterranean. From Rumeli türküleri and classic Istanbul meyhane songs to Aegean, Sephardic and Urfa repertoire, the group brings traditional music into a lively collaborative setting for concerts, community gatherings, weddings and dance.
About Duygu & Friends
A medium-length band bio for presenters, audiences and collaborators.
Band bio
Duygu & Friends is a San Francisco Bay Area ensemble co-founded by Turkish-American vocalist and guitarist Duygu Gün and multi-instrumentalist Peter Bonos. Rooted in the musical diversity of Turkey, Anatolia, the Balkans and the wider Mediterranean, the group approaches traditional repertoire as living music—carried between generations and communities and continually renewed through performance and collaboration.
The band's repertoire ranges from Rumeli türküleri and classic Istanbul meyhane songs to Aegean music, Sephardic repertoire, music from Urfa and southeastern Turkey, and other traditions from across Anatolia and the Mediterranean. Duygu brings voice and guitar while Peter contributes oud and trumpet. The revived ensemble expands this sound with accordion, violin, saxophone, bass, darbuka and Middle Eastern percussion.
Duygu & Friends is closely connected to the Bay Area's Turkish and Balkan communities, performing at gatherings including Lahmacun Thursday at Upcider in San Francisco and the Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal. The band has also performed for Turkish weddings and collaborated with belly dancers including Nicole Maria, Kat Lopez-White and Melike Sengul. Whether on a concert stage, at a community gathering or accompanying celebration and dance, the ensemble brings people together through music shaped by movement, memory and cultural exchange.
The repertoire
The ensemble celebrates the regional and cultural variety within Turkish music and its connections across neighboring traditions.
Classic Meyhane Repertoire
Classic songs associated with the convivial musical culture of Istanbul's meyhanes.
Aegean · Sephardic · Urfa & more
Aegean music, Sephardic repertoire, music from Urfa and southeastern Turkey, and additional songs and styles from Anatolia and the wider Mediterranean.
The ensemble
The revived Duygu & Friends brings together longtime collaborators and new musical friends in an expanded Bay Area lineup.
Duygu Gün & Peter Bonos
Duygu Gün — vocals & guitar
Peter Bonos — oud & trumpet
Zina Pozen
Accordion
Evin Sellin
Violin
Daniel Goldberg
Saxophone
Aaron Goldberg
Darbuka
Faisal Zedan
Middle Eastern percussion
A new chapter
Revived with an expanded lineup, Duygu & Friends continues to grow around the music and the people who bring it to life.
Evolution & collaboration
Duygu & Friends has developed through several musical chapters while keeping collaboration at its center.
Earlier chapters
An earlier formation included vocalist Emmanouela Niniraki. The group later went on hiatus during the pandemic, when Duygu also worked with Jonathan Kipp under the moniker Nakarat.
A growing musical circle
Across different performances, the ensemble has welcomed additional musicians and singers, including Marco Ghezzo on violin and Duygu's father as a guest vocalist, bringing a direct family and generational connection to the repertoire.
The current ensemble
Duygu & Friends is now active again with an expanded lineup, reconnecting the original collaboration between Duygu and Peter with new voices, instruments, repertoire and friendships.
Community, celebrations & dance
The ensemble is closely connected to the Turkish and Balkan communities of the San Francisco Bay Area, where music lives as performance, social gathering, celebration and dance.
Lahmacun Thursday
Duygu & Friends often performs at Lahmacun Thursday at Upcider in San Francisco, hosted by the Gezi Platform, placing the music among food, conversation, listening, singing and community.
Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal
The ensemble also performs at the Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal, connecting its Anatolian and Mediterranean repertoire with the Bay Area's active Balkan music and dance community.
Weddings & dance collaborations
Duygu & Friends has performed for Turkish weddings and has collaborated with belly dancers Nicole Maria, Kat Lopez-White and Melike Sengul, bringing live music and movement together in celebratory settings.
Duygu Gün
Musician, artist and community builder.
Music across cultures
Duygu is a Turkish-American vocalist, guitarist, artist and arts professional whose work explores connections among cultures. Her musical life draws from Anatolian and Mediterranean traditions and from the communities she has helped build in the Bay Area.
Duygu online
Follow Duygu's music, art and current work on Instagram.
@duybeni ↗Listen & watch
Selected performance media from Duygu & Friends.
