Dengbêj: Difference between revisions

'''Dengbêj''' is a [[Kurds|Kurdish]] [[music genre]] and/or a singer of the music genre Dengbêj. Dengbêjs are singing storytellers. There have been many terms to describe Dengbêjs throughout history, but today Dengbêj is the best known, and also several singing storytellers use Dengbêj as part of their own (artistic) name.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kardaş|first=Canser|title=Diversity and Contact among Singer-Poet Traditions in Eastern Anatolia|date=2019-02-05|publisher=Ergon Verlag|isbn=978-3-95650-481-5|editor-last=Ulaş|editor-first=Özdemir|pages=37–38|language=en|editor-last2=Hamelink|editor-first2=Wendelmoet|editor-last3=Greve|editor-first3=Martin}}</ref> Dengbêjs are viewed as a way to transmit the traditions of their Kurdish ancestors in times as it was not possible to publish in Kurdish or about Kurdish history.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Scalbert-Yücel|first=Clémence|date=2009-12-29|title=The Invention of a Tradition: Diyarbakır’s Dengbêj Project|url=http://journals.openedition.org/ejts/4055|journal=European Journal of Turkish Studies. Social Sciences on Contemporary Turkey|language=fr|issue=10|doi=10.4000/ejts.4055|issn=1773-0546|doi-access=free}}</ref> Since there don't exist many documents about certain Kurdish events, today there exist attempts to analyze them through the songs of the Dengbêjs.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kardas|first=Canser|title=Diversity and Contact among Singer-Poet Traditions in Eastern Anatolia|date=2019-02-05|publisher=Ergon Verlag|isbn=978-3-95650-481-5|editor-last=Ulas|editor-first=Özdemir|pages=39|language=en|editor-last2=Hamelink|editor-first2=Wendelmoet|editor-last3=Greve|editor-first3=Martin}}</ref> They sing about Kurdish geography,<ref>Wendelmoet Hamelink, (2016), p. 110-112</ref> history, recent events, but also lullabies and love songs<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Sung Home. Narrative, Morality, and the Kurdish Nation|last=Hamelink|first=Wendelmoet|publisher=BRILL|year=2016|isbn=978-90-04-31482-5|location=Leiden|pages=381–395|language=en}}</ref>

[[Roger Lescot]] has performed a study through a large amount of Dengbêjs during the [[Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon|French Mandate]] in Syria and Lebanon.<ref name=":2" /> In the 1930s the Turkish Government implemented fines on every word that was spoken in Kurdish, therefore the tradition of Dengbêjs singing was in danger and almost became extinct in [[Turkish Kurdistan]].<ref name=":2" /> In the 1980s the Dengbêjs were persecuted for singing in Kurdish, as it was forbidden in Turkey to sing in [[Kurdish languages|Kurdish language]].<ref>Wendelmoet Hamelink, (2016), pp. 211-212</ref> At that time Dengebêjs were recorded clandestinely on cassette tapes and distributed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Christie-Miller|first=Alexander|date=30 March 2012|title=Turkey: Preserving Kurdish Culture Through the Power of Music {{!}} Eurasianet|url=https://eurasianet.org/turkey-preserving-kurdish-culture-through-the-power-of-music|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-29|website=[[eurasianet.org]]|language=en}}</ref> In 1991, the [[President of Turkey|Turkish president]] [[Turgut Özal]] achieved that the use of the Kurdish language became legal except for broadcast, publications, education and in politics.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Romano|first1=David|title=The Kurdish Nationalist Movement: Opportunity, Mobilization and Identity|last1=Romano|first1=David|last2=Romano|first2=Thomas G. Strong Professor of Middle East Politics David|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=2006|isbn=9780521850414|location=New York|pages=55|language=en}}</ref> Therefore, the Dengbêjs were again able to perform with more freedom. From 1994 onwards the Dengbêjs were supported by Kurdish politicians to attend festivals and TV shows out of Turkey and from the 2000s also inside [[Turkey]]. Therefore, the Dengbêj music became politicized and as a sign of Kurdishness which was confronted by [[Turkish nationalism]].<ref>Wendelmoet Hamelink, (2016), pp. 287-288</ref> The Kilam is a speciality of the Dengbêjs, where they just let the out what moves them, and do not so much watch to make a pause after the end of a phrase.<ref name=":1">Wendelmoet Hamelink, (2016), p. 58</ref> If they sing in the style of a stran, the song is more melodic and rhythmic, popular and love songs sung at weddings are sung in stran style.<ref name=":1" /> They sing mostly without instruments accompanying them.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Özdemir|first1=Ulaş|title=Diversity and Contact among Singer-Poet Traditions in Eastern Anatolia|last2=Hamelink|first2=Wendelmoet|last3=Greve|first3=Martin|date=2019-02-05|publisher=Ergon Verlag|isbn=978-3-95650-481-5|pages=41|language=en}}</ref> Traditionally Dengbêjs need to learn ancient Dengbêj songs before performing their own songs.<ref>Hamelink, Özdemir, (2019), p. 42</ref> Well known Dengbêjs are [[Karapetê Xaço]], Evdalê Zeynikî and<ref>Wendelmoet Hamelink, (2016), p. 209</ref> Sakîro.<ref>Wendelmoet Hamelink, (2016), p. 210</ref> In 2003 a first ''Mala Dengbêjan'' (Dengbêj House in Kurdish) was in inaugurated in Van.<ref name=":0">Wendelmoet Hamelink, (2016), p. 307</ref> In May 2007 the [[Democratic Society Party]] (DTP) led Municipality of [[Diyarbakır]]<ref name=":2" /> supported the establishment of the ''Mala Dengbêjan'' in Diyarbakır.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Greve|first=Martin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FyuDDwAAQBAJ&q=Aynur+dogan+dengbej&pg=PA156|title=Makamsiz: Individualization of Traditional Music on the Eve of Kemalist Turkey|date=2018-01-12|publisher=Ergon Verlag|isbn=978-3-95650-371-9|pages=156|language=en}}</ref> In several other cities, Dengbêj houses were founded as well.<ref name=":0" /> The revitalization of the Dengbej tradition was supported by the [[European Union]].<ref name=":2" />