Hi! Today we will talk about Nowruz, which has been recently celebrated all over the world!
Nauryz is a celebration that comes from Persian culture (Zoroastrianism), and in Persian Nowruz translates to “new day”. It coincides with the spring equinox for the northern hemisphere, and is now commonly celebrated in Iran, Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, by Kurdish communities in Turkey, and in Afghanistan and Albania.
When I as a Kazakh think of Nauryz (we pronounce Nowruz slightly differently in Kazakh), I think of Spring, of flowers blooming, weather cheering up, everything wakes up, and so it is not a surprise that in Persian cultures Nowruz marks the beginning of the new year. In Iran, Nowruz is actually the first day on the calendar!
So, to start us off, we will play some songs from Iran, which some of my Iranian friends associate with Nowruz.
Shekoofeh Miraghsadat by By Hooniak Music Band.
Enjoy this Spotify playlist! (Some of the songs that are not on Spotify we included below with small comments)
Kazakhstan
We really know how to rock Nauryz because we get 5 days of official holidays.
The most famous song we play for Nauryz is called "Nauryz Duman" by Roza Rymbayeva. Here is what she said about the song:
"Back in 1989, when the tradition of celebrating Nauryz was revived in Kazakhstan, I had the idea to create a song about the holiday ... At the time, I was listening to one of Whitney Houston’s joyful, energetic songs. I didn’t know the title — I didn’t speak English — but I loved its mood. I wanted our song to feel just as modern, with that same rhythm and energy." (Kursiv Media, 2026)
The traditional instrument is dombra, which is a 2-string instrument, which can sound like so much more! (An example is the composition "Adai" by Kurmangazy).
Another song about the holiday is "Nauryz" by Urker.
And to make some of you feel homesick, we will play "Uyde" (At home) by Darkhan Juzz (on Spotify playlist).
Afghanistan
The night before Nowruz, women will gather together to prepare Samanak (tranditional dish), play drum and sing, and thus the Samanak song (on Spotify playlist).
Turkey: Kurdish music
(based on an old poem)
(of course we can't ignore the fun youtube remixes)
Albania
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an3S1pis1i4
The recording of the episode will be available soon! Meanwhile, enjoy the music!