Kurdish Music

Various Artists

From the mountainous region covering parts of modern-day Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Armenia, the Kurdish people practice a musical culture that is described by liner note author Christian Poché as “passionate” and “impulsive.” Although it belongs to the same musical family as Persian music, Kurdish music is based on the use of the pentacord. The music’s storytelling quality is another important feature of the tradition, demonstrated through songs portraying unrequited love, heroic adventures, and emotional healing.

Kurdish music can be divided into two general, distinctive categories: day and night music. Daytime music is music for festivities, whereas night music allows for moments of withdrawal and reflection. The five selections in this 1970 collection present examples of both types.

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Please enjoy a free download of the song “Mawal Wa Raqsa”

Mawal Wa Raqsa

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This album is part of the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music. More than 125 albums are being released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings to make the series publicly available, including a dozen never-released albums of musical traditions from around the globe.

Track Listing

101	Naghma Jabali wa Binafshé	Mohammed Ali Te'djo, Said Hassan	23:31
102	Mawal wa Raqsa (for two zorna and tabl)	Hamo Hassan Ra'sho, Mohammed Ahmed Ra'sho, Hussein Mohammed Ra'sho	4:52
103	Mawal wa Raqsa (for two pik, tumbalak and zil)	Hanan Ahmed Nasser, Ahmed Hanan Nasser, Hussein Hanan Nasser, Hussein Ahmed Abdo	7:01
104	Lo Delal Sherin Hayat	Said Hassan, Mohammed Ali Te'djo	11:54
105	Sar Hawa	Said Youssef	10:45