Women Voices: Kurdish Sound Archive and Beyond
17-18 July 2026 @ Cafe OTO London
Archive Khanah – Part of the SPACE21 Festival Presents: “Women Voices: Kurdish Sound Archive and Beyond” festival offers two immersive evenings at Cafe OTO dedicated to Kurdish sonic memory, archival storytelling, and live performance. On July 17th, the focus is on rare historical recordings of women’s voices from across Kurdistan, with a panel discussion and sound exhibition led by Zeyneb Yas Salam and her team, followed by live performances that creatively reinterpret the traditional dengbêj style. On July 18th, the spotlight shifts to contemporary Kurdish home archives from London, with a panel exploring diaspora sound culture and a collaborative live performance responding to these intimate recordings. Each night blends archival listening, thoughtful dialogue, and innovative music-making, inviting audiences to experience the vibrancy and resilience of Kurdish women’s voices past and present. Exclusive Kurdish music merchandise will be available on both evenings.
Panel Discussion & Sound Exhibition: 30 archival recordings of Kurdish women’s voices from 1905–2000, representing Bakur, Rojhalat, Bashur, and Rojava, curated by Zeyneb Yas Salam and her team from the Amed Museum. Discussion on the archival process, the significance of women’s oral traditions, and the challenges of preservation. Live Performance: Neslihan Ediş’s reflection on Dengbêj, the distinctive Kurdish song style, responding to the archival material. Live Performance: Heja Netrik presents a contemporary reflection on Dengbêj reinterpreting the archival material.
Panel Discussion & Exhibition: Collection of Kurdish home archives from London, curated by Hardi Kurda. Archive owners and a Kurdish artist working in this field discuss the role and impact of diaspora home recordings on Kurdish cultural memory in London. Live performance: Duo Moment, Hardi Kurda, and Khabat Abas explore how the home archive can contribute to and respond to the evolving Kurdish modern archive, reflecting on its cultural significance within the city. Siavash Nameshiri: Live Electronics: Drawing on almost-forgotten ancestral echoes of Heiran and Dengbêj traditions across different regions of Kurdistan, as well as early recordings from Kurdistan, Siavash re-synthesises the movements of heritage and tradition, reimagining them within a collective memorial context. A bridge to the present, an act of remembrance that both honours the past and acknowledges its ongoing transformation.