Ali Dogan Gonultas Trio
The tradition bearer from Eastern Anatolia
Kurdish Ali Doğan Gönültaş was born in Kiğı, in Eastern Anatolia, where traditions and history are primarily transmitted through music. With an expressive voice and dreamy compositions, he conveys the many rhythms and languages specific to the Anatolian/Mesopotamian settlements. After 10 years of fieldwork, the critically acclaimed debut album Kiğı (2022) was released, with music from the last 150 years in his hometown. In this way, this specific tradition is preserved for posterity, even if memories fade.
Ali Doğan Gönültaş was born in Kiğı in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. He studied archaeology and radio, television and film at Kocaeli University and started his musical career in the band Ze Tijê, a post-rock band with two albums under their belt and hundreds of concerts in Turkey, mostly with Gönültaş's compositions. In parallel with creating music for film and television productions, Ali Doğan Gönültaş has conducted in-depth field studies on the musical traditions of his hometown of Kiğı. For more than 10 years, he has studied the specific musical language and style of an Anatolian/Mesopotamian settlement. These in-depth studies of musical sources and traditions have resulted in the album Kiğı (2022). The album has received stellar reviews, and Ali Doğan Gönültaş has had his international breakthrough. With his expressive voice and dreamy melodies, he takes us through Kiğı's 150-year-old musical history.
Ali Doğan Gönültaş - vocals, guitar and tambourine
Firat Cakilci - clarinet
Ali Kutluturk - percussion