Neval

Neval, born into a Kurdish family in Diyarbakır, Turkey, embarked on a musical journey that transcends cultural boundaries. Her roots in Diyarbakır, a city rich in history and tradition, laid the foundation for a deep connection to her ethnic heritage. It was also in the diverse cultural landscape of Istanbul that Neval’s musical identity truly began to flourish. Growing up in Istanbul, a melting pot of cultures, Neval was exposed to a myriad of influences that would shape her artistic expression. In 2017, Neval’s debut single, “Terelelli (Frivolous),” received an honorable mention in the world music category at the prestigious International Songwriting Competition held in Nashville. The same year, Neval’s composition “Her Anlamlı Şarkı (Song with Every Meaning)” reached the finals of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in New York. In 2019, Neval released her debut EP album, “Taş Avlu (Stone Yard),” a project that showcased her musical depth. The following year, she ventured into the realm of electronic music, collaborating with DJs from around the world for the “Taş Avlu Remixes,” a collection that breathed new life into her original compositions. Her exploration of genre fusion reached new heights in 2020 with the release of the single “Sahi (Really),” where her ethnic maqam sounds seamlessly intertwined with organic house music. In 2022, she continued to experiment with new creative boundaries with the release of “Masal (Tale),” a collaboration merging her musical style with ambient electronic sounds. In 2023, she produced “Tari (Dark)” in collaboration with Kreşendo Music, My City My Voice II. For this project, she collected sound samples from her hometown Diyarbakır and sought to encapsulate the cultural diversity of the Suriçi region in Diyarbakır, where she was born. She tracked the sounds of the Kurdish, Armenian, and Assyrian minorities who once lived in this neighborhood. The lyrics included verses from a famous love poem “Mem u Zin” by Ehmede Xani, a prominent Kurdish poet who lived in the 17th century. In a distinctive approach to storytelling through music, Neval draws inspiration from a diverse range of poets. For most of her songs, Neval collaborates with Yusuf Turhallı, whose lyrics delve into the intricacies of love, despair, conflict, and alienation. For her single “Agamemnon,” Neval incorporated lyrics from the tragic masterpiece written by Ancient Greek poet Aeschylus, adding a classical touch to her contemporary repertoire. One of her compositions, “Hiçbir şey (Nothing),” is derived from the Turkish translation of Federico García Lorca’s poem “Al oído de una muchacha.” This cross-cultural exploration highlights Neval’s commitment to blending artistic influences from different corners of the world. In February 2024, Neval released her latest single “Yara” by Catalan record label Segell Microscopi. “Yara” was nominated in the world music category in the Hollywood Independent Music Awards the same year.