Ali Doğan Gönültaş (Eastern Anatolia)

Ali Doğan Gönültaş, vocals, tambur, acoustic guitar; Ali Kutlutürk, percussion; Fırat Çakılcı, clarinet

The soulful and stunning voice of the Kurdish musician Ali Doğan Gönültaş will take us to the mountainous Eastern Anatolia this coming November. His work blends traditional melodies with experimental elements, featuring songs in Zazaki, Kurmanji, Turkish and Armenian. The result of more than ten years of field research, his debut album Kigi (2022) has met with widespread acclaim, topping the Balkan World Music Charts and hitting the Transglobal World Music Charts at number eleven. In 2024, Ali released his second album Keyeyî, continuing his mission of keeping alive and celebrating the musical traditions of Eastern Anatolia.

Not solely a musician, Ali Doğan Gönültaş is also a researcher and storyteller whose art preserves and revives musical traditions and gives voice to oppressed cultures.