'FOLK' by DİYARBAKIR ARTIST: BİSMİLLİ ZEKO is part of the KURDISH MUSIC VCD REVOLUTION in the TURKISH REPUBLIC around 2000. 1923 LANGUAGE LAWS that BANNED KURDISH and other languages were relaxed and VCD offered a CHEAP, PRACTICAL MEDIA to FREELY CELEBRATE KURDISH CULTURE in TURKEY. [Click 'Show More' for full analysis] 'GOVEND' TAKES a TOUR of KURDISTAN - KURDISH DANCE, - COSTUME of MEN and WOMEN - COMMUNITY and SOCIETY - MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT - FOOD - MIXED-SEX SOCIETY - AGRICUTURAL BACKGROUND - MUSICAL FORMS and INSTRUMENTS - SINGING STYLE - DİYARBAKIR CITY in EAST TURKEY - ANCIENT CULTURE among CITY LIFE - STUBBORN NATURE to RETAIN CULTURE AYDIN MÜZİK produced this VCD with the EQUIPMENT and KNOW-HOW of the TIME in 2000 TURKEY. The RESULT is really something quite EXPERIMENTAL and in someways 'MODERN', yet the FOCUS is something so TRADITIONAL as KURDISH CULTURE. KURDISH VCDs of this ERA have a UNIQUE sort of QUALITY and are a VALUABLE DOCUMENT on the KURDS. Who are the KURDS? The KURDISH PEOPLE were originally NOMADIC PEOPLE of MESOPOTAMIA with their own CULTURE and a LANGUAGE derived from PERSIAN. They were moved mainly by the tending of SHEEP and GOATS so moved with the weather and seasons. Due to the break up of land into NATION STATES, the KURDS lost their GRAZING LANDS and were seperated between TURKEY, IRAQ, SYRIA and ARMENIA. These countries decided that they would NOT RECOGNISE a KURDISH STATE. In TURKEY, the treatment of the KURDS was very harsh in trying to ERASE their IDENTITY by FORBIDDING their LANGUAGE, CLOTHING and MUSIC, plus DENYING they were KURDISH but actually, 'MOUNTAIN TURKS'. KURDS claim that the DARDANELLES WAR fighting the BRITISH with the TURKS and the JEWS saved TURKEY. It is stated that KEMAL ATATURK signed a DOCUMENT for KURDISTAN for the KURD'S loyalty. That TREATISE was then apparently 'LOST' from the ARCHIVES and the TURKISH REPUBLIC then REFUSED to GRANT that KURDISTAN similar to IRAQ, ARMENIA and SYRIA. The KURDS became a PERSECUTED PEOPLE who were DENIED their RIGHTS. The BRUTAL SUPPRESSION the KURDS was greatest in TURKEY leading to THE KURDISH WAR that killed 36,000 TURKS and KURDS. This MISTREATMENT has been DOCUMENTED in a number of TURKISH ART FILMS of actor/director YILMAZ GÜNEY [1937-1984] like 'YOL' ['The Road'] and 'DUVAR' ['Wall'] in the 80s. Plus more recent movies: 'SINIR' ['Border'], 'GÜNEŞE YOLCULUK' ['Journey to the Sun'] and the 2004 film: 'VIZONTELE TUUBA'. However, like the ARABS, the KURDS are NOT a UNIFIED PEOPLE. They are of different CULTURE COMMUNITIES with DIFFERENT DIALECTS of KURDISH. NORTH KURDISH spoken in TURKEY is known as KERMANJİ and is a majority dialect. The MID KURDISH is called SORANİ used in IRAN and IRAQ. KERMANSHAHI KURDISH is the SOUTH DIALECT spoken in that part of IRAN. The DIALECTS are too DIFFERENT to be UNDERSTOOD by all communities. In IRAQ there has been almost CIVIL WAR between OPPPOSING KURDISH GROUPS who have now RESLOVED to SHARE POWER. So the KURDISH PEOPLE are FAR from UNIFIED but share COMMON CULTURE. KURDISH MUSIC LIMITED RANGE of INSTRUMENTS combined with a lot of REPETITION of MOTIFS in a STROPHIC FORM is used in 'GOVEND' and is COMMON to most KURDÎ MUSIC. There is a LIKING FOR and TOLERANCE of MONOTONY. In this song the ZURNA or OBOE tends to play short MOTIFS that sound like the VOCALISATION of GOATS and SHEEP, this gives away INFLUENCES from RURAL LIFE and ANIMALS in the MUSIC. The SAZ LUTE is used in the SONG but this is a TURKIC INSTRUMENT rather than being KURDISH specifically. KURDISH DANCE A lot of SIMILARITIES to BALKAN DANCES of HAND HOLDING that SYMBOLISES the COMMUNITY from the PAST and FAMILY LINKS in KURDISH SOCIETIES. The DANCES have idiosyncratic HELPERKÊ or SMALL ELEGANT RHYTHMIC MOVES that come from HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, WAY of LIFE, STRUGGLES, WAR, QUARRELS etc.]. In contrast to MUSLIM NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES, the KURDS and the TURKS have MIXED-SEX DANCING. KURDISH CLOTHES The MEN wear ŞALVAR baggy trouser, often in BLACK with a SASH that can double as a SCARF over the CHEST [POŞI] and a COLLARLESS SHIRT as DICTATED by ISLAM. SHIRTS with COLLARS are seen as UN-ISLAMIC. The WOMEN wear an OVER-DRESS with a BELT underscored by ŞALVAR baggy trouser underneath. An UNDER-DRESS often has LONG SLEEVE-ENDS that can reach the FLOOR. Women COVER their HEADS with a HAT or SCARF or both. The GOVEND clothes are BRIGHT with DIFFERENT TEXTURES for the LAYERING. KURDISH FOOD The FOOD shown is often shared with TURKISH CULTURE. The FLAT BREAD known as LAVAŞ is cooked in the open over a pan on a fire. GÖZLEME pancakes are similarly cooked with SPINACH, CHEESES, PEPPERS and painted with OIL. DİYARBAKIR The CITY is a PROVINCIAL CAPITAL and SYMBOLIC of the KURDISH HEARTLAND in EASTERN TURKEY. The DİYARBAKIR CASTLE is a BACKDROP for the DANCING as a HISTORICALLY COLOURFUL PLACE of KURDISH STRENGTH and SAFETY.

• published: 28 Feb 2014
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