Ali Dogan
Gonultas

– Heartfelt presentation of a piece of Kurdish music history

Kurdish Ali Doğan Gönültaş grew up in a family where stories were primarily told through music. With his expressive voice, he now performs many of the rhythms and languages of oppressed minorities in Turkey.

Ali Doğan Gönültaş studied both archaeology and media studies and started his musical career in the post-rock band Ze Tijê. In parallel with composing music for film and television, he has conducted in-depth field studies on the musical traditions of his hometown of Kiğı, Eastern Anatolia. For over ten years, he studied the specific musical language and style of an Anatolian/Mesopotamian settlement and the result was the album Kiğı, released in 2022, which ensured Ali Doğan Gönültaş's international breakthrough.

He was one of the most impressive artists at Womex last year and we look forward to being captivated by his heartfelt and heartwarming presentation of a 150-year-old musical history.