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{{short description|Kurdish singer}}
'''Nûdem Durak''' is a [[Kurdish population|Kurdish]] folk musician and political prisoner from [[Turkey]].
'''Nûdem Durak''' is a [[Kurdish population|Kurdish]] singer,<ref name="RollingStone">{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/peter-gabriel-johnny-depp-lead-voice-projects-imprisoned-for-art-campaign-125953/ |title=Peter Gabriel, Johnny Depp Lead Voice Project's 'Imprisoned for Art' Campaign |date=16 November 2016 |publisher=[[Rolling_Stone]] |access-date=19 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="VoiceProject">{{cite web|url=http://voiceproject.org/takeaction/free-nudem-durak/ |title=Nûdem Durak |publisher=[[Voice Project_(non-profit)|The Voice Project]] |access-date=19 September 2020}}</ref> folk musician and political prisoner from [[Northern Kurdistan]] imprisoned by [[Turkey]]. In 2015 she was arrested and sentenced to ten and a half years in prison for singing Kurdish political songs, regarded as evidence of "being a member of a terrorist organization".<ref name=JP/>


==Life==
Durak worked as a music teacher in the town of [[Cizre]] in South East Turkey at the Memuzin Cultural Centre.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Meet the Kurdish woman imprisoned for singing in Turkey|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/30/meet-the-kurdish-woman-imprisoned-for-singing-in-turkey.html|access-date=2020-09-17|website=america.aljazeera.com}}</ref> Durak was arrested in 2015 and sentenced to 19 years in jail for 'terrorist propaganda', due to the political nature of her music. Durak told al-Jazeera before her imprisonment that “Singing in Kurdish is my heritage from my ancestors… my only crime is making art.”<ref>{{Cite web|last=Glynn|first=Sarah|date=2020-05-22|title=Freedom’s song: Solidarity with the Grup Yorum musicians in Turkey’s prisons|url=https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/freedoms-song-solidarity-grup-yorum-musicians-turkey-prisons|access-date=2020-09-17|website=Green Left|language=en}}</ref> She had first been arrested in 2009, and imprisoned for 8 months before being released.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-11-10|title=Kurdish musician in Turkey sentenced to 10 years in prison for singing in Kurdish - Opinion - Jerusalem Post|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110041709/https://www.jpost.com/opinion/kurdish-musician-in-turkey-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison-for-singing-in-kurdish-402882|access-date=2020-09-17|website=web.archive.org}}</ref>
Durak began to sing about the age of 12, and bought her first guitar by selling her mother's wedding ring.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Andras|first=Joseph|date=2019-04-02|title=Nûdem Durak: a song that is imprisoned|url=https://www.kedistan.net/2019/04/02/joseph-andras-nudem-durak-song-imprisoned/|access-date=2022-02-19|website=KEDISTAN|language=fr-FR}}</ref> She worked as a music teacher in the town of [[Cizre]] in South East Turkey at the [[Mem and Zin|Mem u Zin]] Cultural Centre.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Meet the Kurdish woman imprisoned for singing in Turkey|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/30/meet-the-kurdish-woman-imprisoned-for-singing-in-turkey.html|access-date=2020-09-17|website=america.aljazeera.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=2022-02-18|title='She's Not Free': Inside Roger Waters' Quest to Release a Jailed Kurdish Musician|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nudem-durak-roger-waters-1251770/|access-date=2022-02-19|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|language=en-US}}</ref> She was first arrested in 2009, and spent several months in jail waiting for trial. After that trial she was released pending trial. On 22 April 2012 she was arrested again, but in 2015 the Turkish Supreme Court approved her punishment, resulting in her re-arrest and imprisonment.<ref name=JP>{{Cite web|date=2015-11-10|author=Uzay Bulut|title=Kurdish musician in Turkey sentenced to 10 years in prison for singing in Kurdish - Opinion - Jerusalem Post|url=https://www.jpost.com/opinion/kurdish-musician-in-turkey-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison-for-singing-in-kurdish-402882|access-date=2020-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110041709/https://www.jpost.com/opinion/kurdish-musician-in-turkey-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison-for-singing-in-kurdish-402882|archive-date=2015-11-10}}</ref> Durak was sentenced to ten and a half years in jail for 'terrorist propaganda', due to the political nature of her music. Durak told [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al-Jazeera]] before her imprisonment that “Singing in Kurdish is my heritage from my ancestors… my only crime is making art.”<ref>{{Cite web|last=Glynn|first=Sarah|date=2020-05-22|title=Freedom's song: Solidarity with the Grup Yorum musicians in Turkey's prisons|url=https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/freedoms-song-solidarity-grup-yorum-musicians-turkey-prisons|access-date=2020-09-17|website=Green Left|language=en}}</ref> In July 2016, Durak's prison sentence was increased from 10.5 to 19 years, with no additional charges brought against her. She is held in Type E Closed Prison in [[Mardin]], [[Turkey]]. She is due for release in 2034.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Nûdem Durak|url=http://voiceproject.org/takeaction/free-nudem-durak/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-09-17|website=voiceproject.org}}</ref> She has complained of torture, isolation, and having her guitar broken by prison officers.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-05-22|title=" Nûdem Durak n'avait pas d'armes sinon une guitare "|language=fr|work=Le Monde.fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2020/05/22/nudem-durak-n-avait-pas-d-armes-sinon-une-guitare_6040431_3232.html|access-date=2020-09-17}}</ref>


== Reception ==
In 2020, an international campaign calling for her release was started by [[Angela Davis]], [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Ken Loach]], [[David Graeber]], [[Peter Gabriel]] and [[Roger Waters]], among other well known leftist cultural figures.<ref>{{Cite web|title=International campaign for Kurdish musician jailed in Turkey|url=https://anfenglishmobile.com/culture/international-campaign-for-kurdish-musician-jailed-in-turkey-43887|access-date=2020-09-17|website=ANF News|language=en}}</ref> Durak is currently held in Bayburt Prison.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Internationale Kampagne für Musikerin Nûdem Durak|url=https://anfdeutsch.com/kultur/internationale-kampagne-fuer-musikerin-nudem-durak-19244|access-date=2020-09-17|website=ANF News|language=de}}</ref> She has complained of torture, isolation, and having her guitar broken by prison officers.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-05-22|title=« Nûdem Durak n’avait pas d’armes sinon une guitare »|language=fr|work=Le Monde.fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2020/05/22/nudem-durak-n-avait-pas-d-armes-sinon-une-guitare_6040431_3232.html|access-date=2020-09-17}}</ref>
For her release several prominent artists voiced support. Peter Gabriel equated Duraks actions to the ones other musicians like him do as well.<ref name=":0" /> In November 2016, as part of [[Peter Gabriel]]'s Voice Project, [[Pussy Riot]]'s [[Nadya Tolokonnikova]] highlighted Nûdem Durak's situation as someone 'imprisoned for art'.<ref>Matthew Strauss, [https://pitchfork.com/news/69862-johnny-depp-pussy-riot-tom-morello-more-take-mug-shots-for-jailed-artists/ Johnny Depp, Pussy Riot, Tom Morello, More Take Mug Shots for Jailed Artists], ''Pitchfork'', 16 November 2016. Accessed 21 April 2020.</ref><ref>[[Peter Gabriel]], [https://petergabriel.com/news/imprisoned-for-art/ Imprisoned for Art], [[Voice Project (non-profit)|The Voice Project]], 16 November 2016. Accessed 21 April 2020.</ref> In 2020, an international campaign calling for her release was started by [[Angela Davis]], [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Ken Loach]], [[David Graeber]], [[Peter Gabriel]] and [[Roger Waters]], among other well known cultural figures.<ref>{{Cite web|title=International campaign for Kurdish musician jailed in Turkey|url=https://anfenglishmobile.com/culture/international-campaign-for-kurdish-musician-jailed-in-turkey-43887|access-date=2020-09-17|website=ANF News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Internationale Kampagne für Musikerin Nûdem Durak|url=https://anfdeutsch.com/kultur/internationale-kampagne-fuer-musikerin-nudem-durak-19244|access-date=2020-09-17|website=ANF News|language=de}}</ref> Roger Waters sent his autographed [[C. F. Martin & Company|Martin]] acoustic guitar of the [[Us + Them Tour]] on a journey across Europe during which several well known artists like [[Noel Gallagher]] of [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], [[Mark Knopfler]] of the [[Dire Straits]] or [[Marianne Faithfull]] also signed the guitar before reaching Durak in prison [[Bayburt]].<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
<references />
<references />


== External links ==
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[[Category:Kurdish women]]

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[[Category:Kurdish people]]
* [https://songfornudemdurak.org/en/ Song for Nûdem Durak] - campaign website
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[[Category:Kurdish musicians]]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durak, Nûdem}}
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[[Category:Kurdish women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Kurdish people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Turkish prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Turkey]]
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[[Category:Kurdish-language culture]]
[[Category:Kurdish-language singers of Turkey]]

Latest revision as of 19:54, 15 September 2024

Nûdem Durak is a Kurdish singer,[1][2] folk musician and political prisoner from Northern Kurdistan imprisoned by Turkey. In 2015 she was arrested and sentenced to ten and a half years in prison for singing Kurdish political songs, regarded as evidence of "being a member of a terrorist organization".[3]

Life

[edit]

Durak began to sing about the age of 12, and bought her first guitar by selling her mother's wedding ring.[4] She worked as a music teacher in the town of Cizre in South East Turkey at the Mem u Zin Cultural Centre.[5][6] She was first arrested in 2009, and spent several months in jail waiting for trial. After that trial she was released pending trial. On 22 April 2012 she was arrested again, but in 2015 the Turkish Supreme Court approved her punishment, resulting in her re-arrest and imprisonment.[3] Durak was sentenced to ten and a half years in jail for 'terrorist propaganda', due to the political nature of her music. Durak told Al-Jazeera before her imprisonment that “Singing in Kurdish is my heritage from my ancestors… my only crime is making art.”[7] In July 2016, Durak's prison sentence was increased from 10.5 to 19 years, with no additional charges brought against her. She is held in Type E Closed Prison in Mardin, Turkey. She is due for release in 2034.[8] She has complained of torture, isolation, and having her guitar broken by prison officers.[9]

Reception

[edit]

For her release several prominent artists voiced support. Peter Gabriel equated Duraks actions to the ones other musicians like him do as well.[6] In November 2016, as part of Peter Gabriel's Voice Project, Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova highlighted Nûdem Durak's situation as someone 'imprisoned for art'.[10][11] In 2020, an international campaign calling for her release was started by Angela Davis, Noam Chomsky, Ken Loach, David Graeber, Peter Gabriel and Roger Waters, among other well known cultural figures.[12][13] Roger Waters sent his autographed Martin acoustic guitar of the Us + Them Tour on a journey across Europe during which several well known artists like Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Mark Knopfler of the Dire Straits or Marianne Faithfull also signed the guitar before reaching Durak in prison Bayburt.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Peter Gabriel, Johnny Depp Lead Voice Project's 'Imprisoned for Art' Campaign". Rolling_Stone. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Nûdem Durak". The Voice Project. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b Uzay Bulut (2015-11-10). "Kurdish musician in Turkey sentenced to 10 years in prison for singing in Kurdish - Opinion - Jerusalem Post". Archived from the original on 2015-11-10. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  4. ^ Andras, Joseph (2019-04-02). "Nûdem Durak: a song that is imprisoned". KEDISTAN (in French). Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  5. ^ "Meet the Kurdish woman imprisoned for singing in Turkey". america.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  6. ^ a b c Grow, Kory (2022-02-18). "'She's Not Free': Inside Roger Waters' Quest to Release a Jailed Kurdish Musician". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  7. ^ Glynn, Sarah (2020-05-22). "Freedom's song: Solidarity with the Grup Yorum musicians in Turkey's prisons". Green Left. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  8. ^ "Nûdem Durak". voiceproject.org. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  9. ^ "" Nûdem Durak n'avait pas d'armes sinon une guitare "". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  10. ^ Matthew Strauss, Johnny Depp, Pussy Riot, Tom Morello, More Take Mug Shots for Jailed Artists, Pitchfork, 16 November 2016. Accessed 21 April 2020.
  11. ^ Peter Gabriel, Imprisoned for Art, The Voice Project, 16 November 2016. Accessed 21 April 2020.
  12. ^ "International campaign for Kurdish musician jailed in Turkey". ANF News. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  13. ^ "Internationale Kampagne für Musikerin Nûdem Durak". ANF News (in German). Retrieved 2020-09-17.
[edit]
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