Koma Amed, a Kurdish folk band known for its politically charged lyrics and multi-layered compositions, will perform in the Kurdish-populated Diyarbakır city this October after three decades in exile.
The band, formed by students of Ankara and Hacettepe medical faculties in 1988, gained recognition in the 1990s for its distinctive musical style and vocal harmonies. Koma Amed became emblematic for a generation during a time of widespread restrictions on Kurdish culture and language in Turkey.
Memo Gül, a member of the group, announced the upcoming concert on social media. “As Koma Amed, we are excited to perform in Amed this October after 30 years,” he said on X. “Preparations have already begun, and we wanted to share the good news with you.”
The exact date and venue for the concert will be announced in the coming weeks.
Dozens of Kurdish concerts, plays banned in Turkey in three years
The group released its debut album Kulîlka Azadî in 1990. During its early years, Koma Amed struggled to find recording studios willing to work with Kurdish musicians. As a result, the band shared facilities, arrangers, and session musicians with other prominent Kurdish music groups of the era, such as Koma Mezrabotan, Koma Çiya, and Mizgîna Sor.
Following the release of their 1997 album Dergûş, several members of the band were forced to seek asylum in Germany due to political pressure. The group subsequently disbanded.
Their return to the stage in Diyarbakır marks a symbolic moment for both the band and its audience, reconnecting them after a long period marked by censorship, exile, and cultural suppression. (TY/VK)
