Mikail`s Berlin Sessions feat. Ahmet Tirgil - Çiçekê (Traditional Kurdish)

In this special episode of "Mikail's Berlin Sessions", I'm thrilled to be joined by the incredible violinist and singer, Ahmet Tirgil. Ahmet suggested we play “Çiçeke,” a beautiful Kurdish traditional piece from the Cîzra Botan region of Kurdistan, which we learned from the artist Mem Ararat. The song tells the story of two lovers who couldn't be together, a sad tale made even more moving by its rhythm, melody, and scale (makam), which paradoxically fills one with joy.

Ahmet Tirgil is well known for his work with his Anadolu Quartet, where he arranges folk songs from Anatolia and beyond, and for collaborating with renowned artists like Metin & Kemal Kahraman, Sakina Teyna, and Mehmet Atli. Please check his website for more inspiration: https://ahmettirgil.com/en/site/home

This was the first time Ahmet and I performed together. As usual, we met, rehearsed just a little, and then dove straight into the recording, focusing on the raw emotion and spontaneity of the moment.

What also makes this session special is the stunning venue. After recording in a beautiful garden and a cozy living room in previous sessions, we’re now performing in Nikodemus Kulturkirche, one of Berlin’s many churches known for its amazing acoustics. Like many in Germany, these churches have taken on a new life as cultural centers, hosting musical and artistic events. It’s a beautiful way to preserve these spaces for the community and ensure that their remarkable acoustics continue to resonate with sound and life.

In "Mikail's Berlin Sessions", I invite talented musicians from Berlin’s diverse music scene to perform in different locations around the city. Each performance is mostly unrehearsed, focusing on the spontaneous interaction between the musicians and the natural beauty of the moment, making every session unique and full of improvisational energy.
Enjoy the performance and let us know how you feel about “Çiçeke” in the comments!

Many thanks to everyone who supported this challenging project with so much love. A special shoutout to Nikodemus Kulturkirche, Seraphim Schirrmacher, and Stepan Ueding for making it possible to record this session in such a beautiful place. Many thanks to Sakina Teyna for providing valuable information about the piece. Finally, my heartfelt gratitude to my dear friends Cevat Maskar, Batuhan Kavlak, and Emre Nişancı, whose incredible work made everything you see and hear in this video possible.

“Çiçekê” (Traditional Kurdish)
Performed by
Mikail Yakut - Accordion
Ahmet Tirgil - Vocals & Violin   / ahmettirgil  

Director - Cevat Maskar
Camera - Batuhan Kavlak, Cevat Maskar
Mix - Emre Nişancı

Berlin, 2024

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YOUTUBE    / @mikailyakutofficial  

LYRICS

KURDISH
Çîçekê çîçekê, nazdarê çîçekê
Nesîbê me nebû, negihan hev çîçekê

Xwezî tu dotmam ba, ez ji te ra pismam ba
Gula baxê min ba, bilbil û şilan ba

Çîçekê çîçekê, nazdarê çîçekê
Nesîbê me nebû, negihan hev çîçekê

Qurbana wê bejnê, ew zala gerdenê
Li min xweş ke jiyanê, nêrgiz û rihanê

Çîçekê çîçekê, nazdarê çîçekê
Nesîbê me nebû, negihan hev çîçekê

ENG
My flower, my flower, my delicate flower
It wasn’t meant to be, we couldn’t meet, my flower

I wish you were my uncle’s daughter, and I your uncle’s son
If you were the rose of my garden, I would be the nightingale of my wild rose

My flower, my flower, my delicate flower
It wasn’t meant to be, we couldn’t meet, my flower

If only I were a mark on that graceful figure,
Make my life beautiful, my narcissus, my sweet basil

My flower, my flower, my delicate flower
It wasn’t meant to be, we couldn’t meet, my flower