OZAN AKSOY
1. Aynur Doğan, “Min Digo Melê”
From: Hevra. Sony Music, 2014.
Aynur’s Hevra album features Kurdish folk-music with flamenco-inspired world-beat arrangements like “Min Digo Melê”.
2. Bajar, “Ogit”
From: Nêzbe-Yaklaş. Kalan Müzik, 2009.
Lyrics by Cemal Taş and Composition by Vedat Yıldırım.
One of the urban popular music groups based in Istanbul and especially popular among the urban Kurdish youth is Bajar. Their probably most famous song is “Ogit” with over.
3. Serhado, “Bihuşta Xeyalan”
From: Bihuşta Xeyalan. Kom Müzik, 2013.
The young Kurdish rapper born in Sweden is one of the early Kurdish successful rappers utilizing traditional vocal and instrumental elements of Kurdish folk music.
4. Rojda, “Ava Gundem”
From: Kezî. Kom Müzik, 2014.
Kezî is probably one of the most complex Kurdish albums with its rich textures and different arrangement styles accompanying the poetry and narrative texts, sung from a woman’s perspective.
5. Diyar, “Dema Azadî”
From: Dema Azadî. Kom Müzik, 2014.
With its title song, Diyar captures the Kurdish national spirit with a simple march-like melody and lyrics of reverence for Kurdish fighters in Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.
6. Rêzan Şîrvan, “Na Na”
From: Ji Te Dur Im. Aydın Müzik, 2014.
Lyrics and music: Orhan Aygün.
Rêzan Şîrvan’s Ji Te Dur Im (“I Am Far From You”) is an informative example of a recent trend of “arabesk” in Kurdish music.
7. Mem Ararat, “Quling Ewr Û Baran”
From: Quling, Ewr Û Baran. Kom Müzik, 2013.
Mem Ararat’s Quling, Ewr Û Baran (“Crane, Cloud, and Rain”) is an example of a minimalist songster album, predominantly featuring guitar, vocals, and occasionally the bağlama (long-necked lute), keyboard, and whistling.