earthcds - Chave mini - Songs from Turkish Kurdistan on CD - Kurdish music

Released by Cultural Cornerstones.

This CD is primarily composed of field recordings collected in Turkish Kurdistan during the Summer of 2001 and is supplemented by archival recordings donated by Kurdish record companies in Istanbul. It includes 22 tracks (approximately 60 minutes running time) and a twenty-four page color booklet rich with liner notes and expressive photographs from the region, which provide a beautiful and honest reflection on the music, land, and people of present day Turkish Kurdistan. While the CD presents a selection of diverse musical styles (including various songs of mourning, political songs, and wedding songs), the bulk of the recordings highlight the distinct Kurdish tradition of the ‘Denbêj’ singers, or "Bards of Kurdistan," who have fulfilled their social role of collecting and reciting the history of the Kurdish people for centuries.

This CD bears witness to the beauty of the Kurdish people and supports and advocates their right to speak, sing, write, and learn in their own language and live freely in their land. Cultural Cornerstones hopes that their work will lend support to the undeniable distinct and unique nature of the Kurdish people and their culture.

Cultural Cornerstones will use the profits they make from this CD to continue their work.

"The mission of Cultural Cornerstones is to preserve and publish the ethnic traditions of at-risk cultures for use in education and advocacy worldwide. We use arts as a tool to give a voice to the unique beauty of under represented cultures and the struggles they are facing. Through our publications and advocacy campaigns, we aim to encourage awareness, activism, and compassion in the public consciousness to value and protect these people and their threatened traditions."