Kurdish singer spreads love for local melodies across Turkey

Kurdish musician Gulseven Medar was born in 1981 in Turkey. She talks with Rudaw about the composition of her first solo song when she was in primary school. In the Zara area of Sivas Province in northern Turkey, she now rehearses maqam, a local style of melody, in addition to other music genres. She started a curriculum in the department music for voice performance and maqam at the faculty of fine arts at Istanbul Technical University in 2000. 

She is currently a university lecturer. She works on the different methods of controlling exhaling and inhaling air. She was for sometime a teacher of fine arts at Halic University in Istanbul. In a maqam competition held on Channel D in 2005, she came in third across Turkey. 

Rudaw: How many languages do you sing in? 

Gulsevan Medar: I am a classic singer of maqam. I have performed several times on theaters. I have sung in the different dialects of the Kurdish language. I have also composed maqams in Turkish, Armenian, Arabic, and Hebrew. But, in general, I have recorded and presented my work to my fans in Kurdish, and I will continue this work. 

The Kurdish culture is rich with melodies, what should be done to preserve this? 

Every region has its own distinct melodies and rhythms. In addition, the dialects and accents are also very valuable things, which

have made works of art richer and miscellaneous. It is because of this that every region has formed its own distinct style of music. 

 

The maqam of Kochgiri area, which was later enriched by the Alawites, is known for its distinct style and melody. They turn their historical events into the subject of their maqams. It is therefore important for the Kurds to turn their legends into works of art and publish them this way. 

 

Are you working on any other art projects besides music? 

 

In 2012, I participated in theaters of Seitar Rast and Khaliq in Diyarbakir. I also played the role of Olivia in the Kurdish version of

Hamlet in coordination with foreign stage actors. In my role, the poems of Sheikhmus Safar and the maqam music were specially related to me. 

 

I also composed the music for Rozh and Ali Takbash, and chose the maqams according to the rhythm of the area. That is why the entire performance was presented in Kurdish rhythm. Out of the five Kurdish musical productions, there were three related to Kochgiri. 

 

What do you make of the combination between Kurdish music and other world music?

 

The Kurdish musical rhythms are different from classic and other world music, and this makes it distinct. Even the instruments are distinct. However, modern rhythms are found in Kurdish music. What is important is to preserve ancient norms in maqams in order to continue its cultural distinctness. This will make it possible that the Kurds will have their own distinct style and rhythm in the future especially in their contemporary music. 

 

One of my hopes is not to go beyond the classical norms or imitate other cultures so that I can produce indigenously plain melodies and connect Kurdish music to the world. This will be a modern revolution in the history of music, if I can manage to do it. 

 

Gulseven Medar performs the role of Olivia in the Shakespeare classic Hamlet in the Kurdish language dialect of Kurmanji at Amed (Diyarbakir) Metropolitan City Theater. Video: Gülseven Medar | YouTube