Meral Polat (NL/TUR)

Meral Polat channels the soul of Kurdistan through the raw energy of the blues and unfiltered emotion. Accompanied by three virtuosic musicians, she creates hypnotic sonic landscapes in a deeply moving live performance. Her album Ez Kî Me is a contemporary interpretation of Anatolian traditional music—at times a rallying cry, at others a tender search for identity and belonging. The album was nominated for the prestigious Songlines Music Awards and the UPBEAT Best New Talent Award 2024.