Did we mention that Café Istanbul is also the new New Orleans art scene?
Café Istanbul is a 3,800-square foot, handicapped-accessible performance hall with a mission of fostering, encouraging and promoting the performing arts in New Orleans. The line up of events will include live music, dance, theatre, poetry, comedy, film and visual arts. It’s located at 2372 St Claude Ave, in the New Orleans Healing Center, a 55,000 square feet building, formerly Universal Furniture. From its inception, Café Istanbul has been designed to be a top notch platform for local artists. It will provide a high quality sound system with great sound proofing. The balcony’s ceiling was constructed as an acoustic bass trap to prevent loud sounds from escaping from the room. This acoustic ceiling treatment includes 5 inches of Quiet Batt insulation and 10 inches of regular home insulation.
The aluminum paneling that wrapped around Universal Furniture for the last 50 years has been recycled to create a beautiful wainscot around the first floor of Café Istanbul. The panels have been turned backwards to allow sound boards wrapped in fabric to be placed in each of them. The higher walls on both floors will have over 50 wooden sound panels, two feet by four feet down stairs and four feet by four feet upstairs. With a cost of more than $100 each, these panels will encase 4 inch fiberglass hull board (a material used to insulate ships) and wrapped in fabric.
The balcony will be dedicated as gallery space displaying the work of local painters and photographers on a monthly rotating basis. Café Istanbul will be a part of the St. Claude Arts District Gallery Openings that are scheduled for the second Saturday of every month. Meryt Harding, a local artist, has been hired to develop a roster of visual artists and curate the gallery space.
Café Istanbul has a beautiful oak stage that spans 12’ by 24’ with a 4’ extension that can increase the stage’s size to 16’ by 24’. The stage was designed with an expanded area specifically to accommodate dancers. This stage will be especially welcomed by dancers as the city has a scarcity of dance-accessible venues.
The stage has been filled with 14 yards of sand to eliminate any reverberations, and it has the capacity to be reconfigured with a 12’ runway for fashion shows. Framed by traditional red velvet fire proof curtains lit by colorful stage lights, a Yamaha baby grand piano will call the stage home.
Café Istanbul has had preliminary discussions with Richard Mayer, owner of the Shadow Box Theatre across the street from Cafe Istanbul, about working together. The Shadow Box is a great theater but according to Richard, it’s too small to handle the requirements of some shows. The future of the Le Petit Theatre is uncertain, and it’s believed that Le Chat Noir will be closing soon. Café Istanbul will provide coveted and needed space for the theatre community that stands to lose one of its stalwart venues and maybe two.
Sandra Kazi runs a tour company that will be based in the Healing Center. She has a performance called Gumbo Nation that gives a cultural overview of New Orleans to tourists. Sandra plans to end her tours at the Healing Center with dinner at Fatoush Restaurant, followed by a one hour Gumbo Nation performance in Café Istanbul. Sandra developed this idea after seeing a similar show in her native Trinidad.
Moose Jackson is a local poet who wrote the play Loup Garou. In addition, he has been hired to write a New Orleans-themed play that highlights the rich and colorful history of our city. This play will run twice a week in Cafe Istanbul. Moose’s play and Sandra’s show will be perfect appetizers for out of town guest interested in the culture of New Orleans.
Café Istanbul will have the capacity to show movies, a much-needed asset for the burgeoning New Orleans independent film industry. Recently, two independent movie producers who have made movies about Mardi Gras Indians, have had to show their movies in Chalmette because of a lack of suitable venues in New Orleans. Istanbul will offer these and other independent film makers an inexpensive option that will allow them to show their movies within the city.
Live music is more connected to the cultural fabric of New Orleans than any other city in the country and perhaps any other city in the world. Café Istanbul will be a musical platform for New Orleans’ musical super stars of tomorrow. Austin, Texas refers to itself as the live music capital of the world, but this is a laughable proclamation for those who know music. New Orleans is the rightful holder of this title. If if there is any doubt, one only has to watch the HBO series Treme.
Unfortunately, while the city has reaped the benefits of the cultural economy with music being a huge part of it, we have invested very little in its infrastructure. Very few venues accessible to local musicians are equipped to adequately showcase their talents. Many of the current live music venues were houses never built with the intention of presenting music or any other performing arts. Many top-ranked local musicians perform infrequently in New Orleans because acoustics and sound are not adequate in many places. Many of the current music establishments are bars that have music; Café Istanbul will be a performance hall that has a bar. New Orleans deserves Café Istanbul and the musicians of New Orleans deserve it as well.
Contact Information:
Suleyman Aydin
Ph: (504) 329-5483
e-mail: devrimaydin2@gmail.com
Chuck Perkins
Ph: (504) 975-0286