Leonard Cohen fascinates 5,000 concertgoers at first-ever İstanbul gig

But their dream came true. The cult name in poetry and music gave his first concert in İstanbul on Wednesday night as part of his ongoing world tour, which began in Germany on July 1. And Cohen himself probably also regretted not coming before, after experiencing the astonishing interaction with the Turkish audience.

Born in Canada in 1934, Cohen came from a Jewish family that had its roots in Poland and Lithuania. Cohen's father died when Cohen was 9. He felt the influence of religion in every stage of his life. After many years, he would describe his youth with the words, “I had a very Messianic childhood.” He would say, “I was told I was a descendant of Aaron, the high priest.” It is not surprising to see that Cohen always reflected a spiritual aspect in his poems and songs.

Cohen spent his youth largely writing poetry. After becoming a well-known poet in Canada, he moved to the United States in 1967 to continue his career as a folk singer-songwriter. His first album, "Songs of Leonard Cohen," released that same year, was not a commercial success, but he was already evaluated as one of the most significant names in folk music. The 1980s and '90s would bring worldwide fame to Cohen's beautiful songs, each of which would gather a cult following. In 1996 Cohen was ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and took the Dharma name Jikan, meaning “silence.” After his seclusion ended in 1999, Cohen would return with “Ten New Songs” in 2001. What a blessed comeback it was.

The lyrics of Cohen's songs are no different from his poems in terms of depth and meaning. Each word is carefully chosen for the place where it belongs and where it will penetrate directly into the listener's heart. The romance in his songs could reach the highest level; “Dance Me to the End of Love” from the album “Various Positions” became the song of lovers and everyone who wanted to love. Cohen also never hesitated to make spiritual, political and even satirical comments, as is largely perceptible in his song “Democracy” from the album “The Future,” for instance. Considering that it could take Cohen a year to complete a song, it is not surprising to observe that perfection comes out at the point where love meets innocence and politics meets irony.

‘Everybody knows’

This was what the people of İstanbul had waited for, for so many years. However, Cohen's long-awaited first İstanbul appearance on Wednesday drew protests from a 15-member group who demanded Cohen cancel a planned appearance in Israel on Sept. 24. The group, holding placards that read, “Everybody Knows… Israel is a killer” in a reference to the title of a song featured on Cohen's 1988 album “I'm Your Man,” demanded that Cohen perform in Ramallah instead of Tel Aviv. After a short period of tension at the entrance of the concert hall, the group peacefully ended their protest just before the concert started.

Inside the concert hall, the ambiance was very different. The arena was full to the brim with enthusiastic people applauding madly as Cohen appeared on the stage just on time, not a minute too early or late. With a modest but a charismatic greeting, Cohen started with the classic, "Dance Me to the End of Love," to a magnificent cheer from the crowd -- so loud that it even drowned out the music played on the stage for a while. Quintessential Cohen songs -- “Famous Blue Raincoat,” “Suzanne,” “So Long, Marianne,” “I'm Your Man” and “First We Take Manhattan” -- followed.

During the concert, Cohen never abandoned his respectful attitude, taking off his hat with a respectful gesture towards his companions as they played music. He showed the same respect to his audience: at the so-called end of the concert, he left the microphone on the floor as he greeted the audience with an appreciative thanks, but this was not enough for his fans. Cohen returned to the stage for four encores; every time the audience became more and more rapturous. Despite his age, Cohen did not seem to be exhausted after playing and singing for more than two-and-a-half hours. Every time he tried to leave the stage, the audience cheered up by his style of leaving: Cohen was running, dancing and turning around. Turning back every time, he started to sing songs of "separation," which was his way of humorously bidding farewell.

So, Cohen was in İstanbul for two fabulous, unforgettable concerts that are sure to live on in the audiences' memories for as long as they live. The 74-year-old Cohen made everyone remember the unifying power of music once again when he thanked the audience for its “warm reception” in “complete peace in a time of chaos and suffering” and continued with his unforgettable lyrics: “Ring the bells that still can sing. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.”