Kurdistan

The seven-piece group Nishtiman, meaning ‘Homeland’, brings together five Kurdish musicians from the three main territories where the Kurds are settled – Turkey, Iran and Iraq. They are joined by a French percussionist and bass player. Surprisingly perhaps, it's the first time a group has been put together uniting those Kurdish territories but their leader and composer Sohrab Pournazeri doesn’t want Nishtiman to be viewed politically or nationalistically. ‘It's a music of daily life,’ he says, ‘a music from before nationalism.’

What might be seen as their signature song, ‘Nishtiman’ is a love song that enumerates his lover's qualities in different towns in Iran, Turkey and Iraq. Another tune pays homage to the sacred Sufi music of Iranian Kurdistan, as played by Ali Akbar Moradi. Another percussive track uses various Kurdish rhythms combined with African percussion. With vocals from Pournazeri and Maryam Ebrahimpour and instruments including kamancheh (spike fiddle), tanbur, oud (lutes), balaban (duduk), zurna (shawm) and percussion, the level of musicianship is very high and as witnessed at Babel Med, they give a storming live show.