Voices of Kurdistan

Last week-end was the 7th annual San Francisco world music festival.
http://www.sfworldmusicfestival.org

The concert focused on the Kurdish music from Turkey and other parts of Kurdistan, featuring the music of rising superstar, Aynur, with her ensemble. Making her US Debut, Aynur sang in Kurmanchi, the largest Kurdish dialect, as well as, in her regional dialect. Her ensemble includes musicians from Turkey performing the blur (wooden flute), daf (frame drum), tembur (lute), and viola.




Aynur on Stage



Our friend, Kak Welat, owner of Bocce Cafe restaurant in North Beach is one of the people who helped organize this great event. Right after the concert we had the privilege of "hanging out" with the stars :-) we all went to dinner at his restaurant with all the musicians and singers. It was a great night. Kak Welat cooked some kurdish food and opened a lot of nice italian wines.

Welat (white shirt)


Musicians, Friends and the rest of us. (dont look for me, I am taking the pictures!)


That week-end was great for another reason. A good friend of mine I met years ago in San Diego was in Town. He now works as a reporter for Voice of America in Washington D.C. It was really nice to see Kak Jani Diylan again. I hadn't seen him in 4 or 5 years.


Lerhan


Here is bird view of SF from Twin Peaks (Lerhan included)