Ivan "Melon" Lewis & The Cuban Swing Express
Cuban guitar virtuoso Ivan "Melon" Lewis brings his irresistible blend of jazz, son, and swing to the refined confines of İş Sanat. Backed by The Cuban Swing Express, expect a full-bodied evening of Havana warmth transplanted into Istanbul's smartest corporate concert hall. This is jazz with hips — rhythmically generous, melodically inventive, and impossible to sit still through.
About this event
Ivan "Melon" Lewis is one of Cuba's most celebrated jazz guitarists, a veteran of the Buena Vista Social Club orbit whose playing channels the deep roots of Afro-Cuban tradition while reaching fluently into jazz improvisation and swing. His nickname alone — earned on the bandstand — hints at the sweetness and bounce he brings to every performance. Alongside The Cuban Swing Express, a tight ensemble built for both precision and joy, he constructs sets that move effortlessly between bolero tenderness and full-throttle mambo energy. İş Sanat, the cultural arm of İş Bank housed within the gleaming İş Kuleleri towers in Levent, is one of Istanbul's more serious concert halls — acoustically well-appointed, with a discerning regular audience that turns out for international jazz and world music with genuine enthusiasm. It's a room that rewards artists who combine craft with charisma, and Lewis fits that brief handsomely. For Istanbul's jazz community, this is a genuinely special occasion — live Cuban jazz of this calibre doesn't arrive often, and when it does it tends to sell. An early 17:30 start (20:30 local time) means the evening wraps at a civilised hour, making it a natural choice for a dinner-and-concert night in Levent or a cab ride on to Nişantaşı afterwards. Book early, dress however you like, and let the clave do the rest.
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