In recent years the albums ‘Seyir’ and ‘Kece Kurdan’ have earned the mesmerizing female vocalist Aynur Dogan a reputation that extends beyond Kurdish circles and has even commanded international admiration. The British magazine "Folk Roots" put her on their cover in 2004, and the London Times used her photograph to illustrate a supplement on the musical gems of Turkey.

This is somewhat ironic, given that not long ago Kurdish music was strictly forbidden in Turkey. Any Kurd who aspired to a career in music sang in Turkish and steered clear of politics. Those who did sing in Kurdish typically went into exile in Western Europe and produced cassettes that only passed secretly from hand to hand in Turkey.

It was only four years ago that the last remaining bans were lifted that had held back Kurdish music. But since then a lot has happened. Modern Kurdish songwriters such as Aynur, Nilüfer Akbal or Rojin, who have even made their way into radio and television, are only the most visible signs of the progress.

Along the way, all three of them have broken out of the prescribed roles: They cannot be classified as purely ethnic folk musicians, nor do they try to make a political statement with their music, which had long been the prerogative of Kurdish music.

Following Western traditions

Aynur Dogan and her sisters understand themselves as modern singers and songwriters following a Western tradition. They do sometimes turn back to old traditional Anatolian wanderers' songs. But they also open Kurdish music up to new influences, to European and international sounds.

Aynur Dogan is the musician who has remained closest to Kurdish traditions. Yet she has refined the somewhat outdated repertoire and her own compositions with a seasoned world music aesthetic, by implementing a wide spectrum of acoustic folk instruments.

Bass and percussion lend the spare and elegiac ballads a hint of jazz. The heavy blues from the Kurdish mountains thus take on a certain cosmopolitan flair when she performs them.

Aynur Dogan’s background

Aynur Dogan was born in the south-east corner of the country in the Kurdish-influenced region of Tunceli, where she grew up with the traditional music, the myths and the poetry of the Alevites – a religious minority which is still very present in everyday life there.

In the wake of the civil war which escalated in the 1990’s, whole villages were forced to move to the western side of Turkey. In 1992 Aynur's family also moved, to Istanbul, where she then attended the music school of Arif Sag who is known as the guru of saz, the traditional Turkish instrument.

This article is an excerpt of an article published by Qantara.de and is republished with permission from the author.