Rabe

The title of this album, Rabe, means ‘stand-up’ or ‘rise-up’ in Kurdish and Aynur Doğan has been standing up for her people for 20 years since her Kalan Müzik debut Keçe Kurdan in 2004. This is her eighth album and one of her strongest. It begins with just saxophone and Aynur’s powerful vocals, although the sax phrase has the reedy mystical air of a duduk. A couple of the songs have spiritual lyrics written by Alevi poets, including the excellent ‘Derviş Baba’ (Father Dervish) which includes the plucked pipa of Wu Man. Wu Man also joins on the delicate ‘Bîranîn’ (Remembering). ‘Rabe Edlayê’ (Rise Up Edlayê) is a traditional song of unattainable love. It includes Kurdish tembur and other lutes plus incisive strings making it one of the stand-out tracks. Snarky Puppy’s Michael League joins on electric guitar and jazz pianist Franz von Chossy contributes too, although with the exception of tracks like ‘Ez û Bi Teva’ (Me and You), one of the Aynur originals, happily the Kurdish flavour dominates that of jazz.

As she’s always done, Turkish-born Aynur keeps away from overt political statements, but Rabe certainly reinforces her role as the leading contemporary female Kurdish voice.