GRUP NAZAR plays traditional Turkish Romani & Oriental Bellydance Music
To book Grup Nazar for your next event, please contact Kostana at 571-332-4865 or kostanadancer@yahoo.com.

WATCH GRUP NAZAR ON TURKISH AMERICAN HOUR! Go to: Turkish American Hour: Episode 29 Episode 29 highlights Turkish folk, pop and dance music! Kostana's bellydance sequence will be highlighted on a future episode highlighting Turkish dance. Stay tuned!

Photos of Grup Nazar at Balktoberfest by Margaret Loomis

Grup Nazar Bios:

Varol Saatcioglu: Keyboard, Vocals, Bagpipe
Varol was born in Edirne, Turkey, in 1982. Music has always been a part of Varol's life as his mother is a piano, music, and folkdance teacher. At the tender age of five, he was accepted into the prestigious Municipal Conservatory of Istanbul, where he studied music theory and piano. After emigrating to the United States, Varol began studying the gaida (Bulgarian bagpipe) under the guidance of Georgi Doichev, former principal soloist with the Filip Kutev National Ensemble. He has also studied Thracian and Rhodopi styles with Vasil Bebelekov. After joining a local band, the Balkanics, Varol began playing the keyboard, applying knowledge and skills from his studies at the conservatory. Varol currently resides in Bethesda, MD, and plays with local bands Grup Nazar, Lyuti Chushki, and the Balkanics.

Daniel Rozas: Clarinet
Daniel is a graduate of the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, where he received his Bachelor of Music in Saxophone performance. His musical accomplishments include solo performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, multiple appearances at the Kennedy Center’s Millenium Stage, performances with the Richmond Symphony and the Charlotte Chamber orchestras, and numerous concerts in the Washington-Baltimore area and the east coast. As a musician, he has also been featured on PBS’s "MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour," Windplayer Magazine, and the Voice of America. Daniel is an avid enthusiast of early classical music, jazz and various types of folk music, and has worked extensively with different ethnic and early music ensembles in the Washington area over the past 15 years.

Eric Lofhjelm: Percussion
Eric was born in the 60s, and influenced in his 'impressionable years' by pop culture,mainly the heavy guitar driven bands of the 70s. Several significant events in the 80s, most notably the birth of his daughter, inspired personal changes and broadened his musical horizons,to include jazz,psychedelia,and early in-roads to 'world music'. Playing kit drums in rock bands through the 80s, Eric found new passion in hand drums and world percussion in the early 90s. An informal exploration culminated in his attending the Womad music festival in 2000. Since,he has been narrowing his focus to his current emphasis on Middle Eastern/Northern African rhythms and instruments.A special interest in tribal and fusion styles of belly dance led Eric to attend Tribal Quest NW in 2005.He is influenced by a wide range of traditional and contemporary music. He has been studying with Brad Sidwell and currently teaches beginner doumbek at Sahara Dance in DC.

For Kostana & Sidqi's bios, please visit our Bio page

Grup Nazar in the Studio with Turkish American Hour - March 11, 2007
Grup Nazar spent the day with Hurriyet and crew filming for Turkish American Hour.
For more information about Turkish American Hour programs, go to: www.turkishamericanhour.org