Ute Lemper enchants Istanbul

World-renowned German singer and actress Ute Lemper enchanted her fans in Istanbul on April 28 as part of her concert tour "Last tango in Berlin," which is promoting her latest album, "Paris days, Berlin nights."

With chansons of war, peace and love, Lemper opened the stage with works from Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht before taking a musical tour through the Western hemisphere, touching bases with Paris through Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, Buenos Aires through Astor Piazzola and New York through Hans Eisler.

Accompanied by Vana Gierig on piano and Victor Villena on accordion and bandoneon, Lemper "carries songs with her to the future from yesterday" in her own words.

The Marlene Dietrich breeze Lemper managed to blow could only be crowned with "Lili Marlene," the beautiful pacifist song. Naturally, the concert, her second in Istanbul after one in 1994, would have been incomplete without "Mackie Messer."

Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien" was the cherry on the top of this tasteful cake, which ended with a standing ovation at the Cemal Re?it Rey Concert Hall.