Singer - Rebetiko, Balkan &, Anatolian Songs
Çiğdem
Aslan is an Istanbul-born singer who sings in many languages and regional
styles, including Turkish, Greek, Kurdish, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Romany and
Ladino. Her musical journey started within the family. Coming from
Kurdish-Alevi background, in which music is one of the pivotal elements of the
culture, she grew up with the rich sounds of her culture and then gradually met
with the other sounds of Istanbul and beyond.
While
studying English literature at Istanbul University, she regularly performed Rebetiko,
Sephardic and other ethnic music of Turkey.
Moving
to London to study music, Çiğdem began performing with groups including Dunav
Balkan Band, originally established in 1964, SOAS Rebetiko Band and the
award-winning She’koyokh.
As
part of She’koyokh she has won plaudits for the “clear, natural ease” with
which she sings (Songlines Magazine) and her “no-nonsense from the heart
passion" (fRoots Magazine).
She
also performs folk songs from different regions of Anatolia accompanied by
Tahir Palali on kopuz/baglama and herself on frame drums.
She
studied music at Goldsmith’s University.
Cigdem
has been performing and touring her critically-acclaimed albums 'Mortissa'
(2013) and 'A Thousand Cranes' (2016) which have been released from Asphalt
Tango Records. Both albums focuses on Rebetiko and Smyrnaic songs from Asia
Minor and Greece mainly from 1930s.
The
albums received great reviews from all around the world; including the
Guardian, NPR, Songlines, fRoots, Evening Standard, New York Music Daily; and
entered the World Music Charts Europe from top ten and stayed there for months.
'Mortissa' was chosen as one of the best albums of 2013 by fRoots and Songlines
Magazine which nominated and shortlisted Cigdem in the 'Best Artist' category
for Songlines Music Awards 2014.
In
2014 Mortissa won the prestigious „Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik/
German Record Critics Award"
Cigdem
is in high demand for collaborations, European tours and cultural radio and TV
appearances.
PERFORMANCE
HIGHLIGHTS
Royal
Albert Hall, London
Elbphilarmonie,
Hamburg
Opera
de Rennes, France
Palau
de la Musica, Valencia
Concertgebouw,
Amsterdam
WOMAD
(UK & Spain)
Festival
Au Fil Des Voix, Paris
Glatt&Verkehrt
Festival, Krems
Mawazine
Festival, Morocco
Les
Nuits de Fourvière, Lyon (FR)
Førde
Festivalen, Norway
TFF
Rudolstadt, Germany
Palace
of Arts, Budapest (HU)
Sziget
Festival (HU)
Southbank
Centre, London
Cadogan
Hall, London
Barbican,
London
Jazz
Cafe, London
Pergamon
Museum, Berlin
Gasteig,
Munich
Union
Chapel, London
World
on Three, BBC Radio 3
Loose
Ends, BBC Radio 4
Cerys
on 6, BBC Radio 6
Traumzeit
Festival, Duisberg (DE)
Snape
Proms, Aldeburgh (UK)
Warsaw
Cultural Festival, Warsaw (PL)
Jewish
Culture Festival, Krakow (PL)
Buskers’
Bern, Switzerland
Radio
France, Paris
Libèration,
France
Polish
Radio, Warsaw (PL)
Boğaziçi
Üniversitesi, Istanbul (TR)
Budapest
Ritmo, (HU)
Sargfabrik
(AU)
Salam
Orient Festival (AU)
REFERENCE:
Anadolu'dan Yunanistan'a sürülen ilk mülteci: Rembetiko (agos.com.tr, 15 Kasım
2013), Rembetiko'nun külhanbeyi: Çiğdem Aslan (sabah.com.tr, 16 Şubat 2014),
Londra'da bir Mortissa: Çiğdem Aslan (dunyalilar.org, 28 Kasım 2015), Çiğdem Aslan - Sanat Karavanı (sanatkaravani.com, 27
Mart 2018), Çiğdem Aslan – Our Stor (facebook.com, 28.07.2020).
