Aynur Dogan in San Francisco at Fort Mason’s Cowell Theater

The Project

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Diaspora Arts Connection will present award-winning Kurdish singer Aynur Dogan in San Francisco at Fort Mason’s Cowell Theater. Aynur is the most prominent Kurdish singer of our times. Her music is grounded in traditional Kurdish folk songs, some of which are more than 300 years old, as well as her own compositions. Aynur gives these folk songs a fresh, contemporary makeover, her astonishing lyrics narrating stories about the life and suffering of Kurdish people, women especially. Aynur fuses with stylistic elements of western music, above all jazz. The result is a unique, unmistakable sound that forms a link between the past and the future. Over the decades Aynur has become a global star of the world music scene as a musical voice of the Kurds. Aynur will be accompanied by a group of musicians playing the tembur, piano, bass, drums, and clarinet.

The Artist / Team

Diaspora Arts Connection is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that aims to foster deeper understanding and lasting connections among diverse cultural and ethnic groups within the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond through the organization of cultural and artistic events, as well as empowering artists whose circumstances make it difficult for them to express themselves and allowing them a platform for artistic expression.

The Goal

Diaspora Arts Connection further aims to help introduce new artists to local and international audiences; to help develop and improve audience appreciation of the arts in its constituent communities through conducting lectures, screenings, readings, and workshops; to produce events that foster deeper understanding of different diasporic cultures within our communities; and to help artists from different parts of the world and cultures to collaborate and produce valuable artistic presentations.

In addition to the event’s artistic value, a gathering around Kurdish music will be a healing event for the community following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and the massive loss of life, especially among the Kurdish population of the affected regions.