Diyarbakır hosted a meaningful event on February 21st World Mother Language Day.

The program titled “Voice and Divan” organized by Kayapınar Municipality, Women’s Culture Art Literature Association (KASED) and Dicle Fırat Association was held with great interest at Arjen Arî Library.

Emphasis on Kurdish language and culture

The event was moderated by writer Berivan Matyar.

Writer Serwet Deniz and Kurdish musicologist Weysi Varlı participated as panelists.

In addition, the magical sound of the dengbêj tradition was brought to life by artists Hediye and Emere Entaxi during the night.

Kayapınar Municipality Co-Mayor Berivan Gülşen Sincar, writers and Arjen Arî Library students also participated in the event.

Berivan Matyar: A promising step after 8 years

In her opening speech, Berivan Matyar emphasized that it was exciting for an official institution to organize such a comprehensive language and culture event for the first time in a long time. She stated that such activities provide an important basis for the preservation and dissemination of the Kurdish language.

Serwet Deniz: Dengbej is the memory of a society

Author Serwet Deniz stated that dengbej is not only a transfer of sound, but also a strong tradition that keeps the oral memory of a society alive:

“Dengbej expresses social problems, serves an educational function and is a bridge between generations. The survival of the language is the survival of the memory.”

Weysi Varlı: Women were at the heart of Kurdish music

Musicologist Weysi Varlı, who made evaluations on the history of Kurdish music, stated that Kurdish music developed around four main themes: work, enthusiasm, fight and sadness.

Varlı, who also emphasized the place of women in this musical tradition, said:

“In the Urartian and Hurrian periods, the greatest dengbej were women.

Kurds, like other peoples, extracted their voices from their essence and women became the carriers of this voice.”

Cultural revival in Diyarbakır

This meaningful event was a promising example for the survival of the Kurdish language, music and oral culture and their transfer to future generations.Participants expressed their satisfaction that the cultural richness of Diyarbakır became visible again.