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Aynur
Nûpel (Kalan)
The second release by this Kurdish/Turkish singer is rich, complex and modern. It will attract new fans (and infuriate old foes). fRoots calls it 'a rush of ideas and unexpected musical juxtapositions' and that her 'artistic achievement is that she manages to be original within tradition... secure enough in her roots to build on them and dare to change things.'
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The title means 'New Page' and is Kurdish singer Aynur's second release in her own name, although she has featured on recent releases by Kardes Türküler and others. Like the 2004 Keçe Kurdan, the CD is distinguished by energy and passion, qualities which permeate Aynur's songwriting and stage appearances. This CD, like the last, is a rush of ideas and unexpected musical juxtapositions and contains a mixture of new compositions as well as interpretations of traditional songs. It seems that towards the end of last year a court decreed that Aynur's first CD should be removed from circulation on the grounds that it promoted separatism (the decision was later reversed). It is hard to think of a crasser misreading of Aynur's music, which contains so many diverse elements and in which the Kurdishness occupies its proper place but not at the expense of everything else. Indeed, for me, Aynur's artistic achievement is that she manages to be original within tradition, by which I mean that she is secure enough in her roots to build on them and dare to change things. Too often in Turkey, as in Greece, musicians aspire to a sterile perfection that is little more than musical railway modelling; by contrast, in Western music the aim is often novelty at the expense of everything else. Aynur avoids both traps, and this is evidenced by Ronî (Brightness) and Eman Eman (Aman Aman), Aynur compositions that are deeply informed by the musical structures of Kurdish/ Turkish folk song but which are entirely Aynur's own. In both cases the song is embedded in an instrumental texture that makes use of traditional instruments - saz, zurna, various frame drums - as well as Western ones, with Ronî in particular exploiting the atmospheric potential of the percussion instruments. This approach is characteristic of the whole CD, which features some excellent instrumental performances and production. Aynur deserves all the success that awaits her. - Chris Williams, fRoots |
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