Ashti Kurdish Band is participating in Damascus International Fair this year
Damascus – North-Press Agency – Ahmad Kanaan
Ashti Band of Kurdish Folklore is preparing to participate in the artistic events at Damascus International Fair of 2019.
As the Band, founded by the artist Idris Murad in 2014, performed at many concerts, the most important of which was at the Opera House in the Syrian capital Damascus, where it presented a theatrical performance entitled “Mam and Zin” on the occasion of “Newroz”.
The same event was held for two consecutive years at the Dummar Cultural Complex, and they presented an evening at Al-Qabbani Theater in Damascus.
Moreover, the Band also recently performed a huge concert at al-Azm Palace in Damascus, where it has received a huge success and popularity, as part of its preparations to participate in the annual “Rainbow Festival” as well as in the events of Damascus International Fair.
Presenting Kurdish heritage
Artist Idris Murad spoke to North-Press about the Band’s attempt to preserve the Kurdish heritage and present this rich heritage in its artistic and literary culture to the Syrian society, saying, “The Band aims to preserve the Kurdish musical and dance heritage, where the heritage is presented as it is, no more no less.”
Murad explained that the aim of these performances is; “To familiarize Syrian community with this ancient heritage, through dance and theatrical performances, in a proper way as an integral part of Syrian culture in general, and to document and preserve it.”
He added that the Band “is trying to promote these dances and songs from folk performances to cultural and theatrical one, accompanied by a group of the most famous Syrian Kurdish musicians.”
No place to train
The difficulties faced by the Band, which is only interested in Kurdish folklore, epitomized by places for training, because there is no hall or training center to use.
“The main problem we face is that there is no place for training permanently like the rest of the bands there,” Murad said.
He pointed out that their financial support is self-supporting, and depends only on party revenues, which is very small. In addition, obtaining licenses to hold concerts and present their shows is conducted “through the directorates of the Ministry of Culture, as they are very lenient with us.”
It is worth mentioning that Ashti Band is made up of a group of young amateur men and women, who have mastered performances and movements on stages of their shows, which have met with public success, local media, and Arab media.