Dengbêj Gazîn: Songs of a Kurdish Woman

Welcome!

Kurdish communities draw on an immensely rich oral heritage. This edition presents the musical repertoire of Dengbêj Gazîn (1959-2018), a singer-poet from Tetwan (Tatvan) and one of the most famous female Kurdish dengbêjs of her time. Dengbêjs are amongst the most prestigious of Kurdish oral performers: they recount historic events, legendary stories, and personal experiences through melodized speech. Dengbêjs have been integral for the transmission of Kurdish history and they have preserved the richness of Kurdish language. This edition gives rare insight into the creative process of a female dengbêj. Due to restrictive social norms, Kurdish women singers have found it difficult to perform in public. Based on 210 sound recordings, this edition presents the work of one of the most outstanding Kurdish female singers of her generation. It makes available the original sound recordings, alongside their Kurdish transcriptions and Turkish translations, complemented by critical editorial comments. Additional recordings by Dengbêj Gazîn are available for consultation at the library of the Orient-Institut Istanbul.

Additional Kurdish archives can be accessed through the Kurdish Digital Archive platform at the University of Exeter.