Ali Doğan Gönültaş was born in the mid of 1980s in Kiğı, a rural village in the rugged mountains of Eastern Anatolia, in a Kurdish family for whom, as is the case with most Alevi families, music is an essential way of transmitting the history of their people. Soon after, the family had to emigrate to the city. Already in Istanbul, the kid Ali was encouraged by his teachers and elders to sing. Because he already had that gift—the gift of natural musicality, which he refined through his artistic activities and composition work.

“Alevis call tembur as the stringed Qur’an. They say that you can understand the meaning of the 4 holy books with the tembur.” Ali Doğan Gönültaş

His time at university studying archaeology and cinema provided him with a deep focus on research and source analysis, as well as the ability to translate that background into a highly captivating artistic and communicative language. Heritage, talent and stagecraft.

After ten years, two albums and hundreds of concerts with the fascinating band Ze Tîje, Ali Doğan produced and launched his first album, Kiğı, the result of fifteen years of research, conversations with elders and work on musical arrangements. In Kiğı, Ali sheds light on the languages and cultures of silenced minorities in Turkey, such as the Kurds and Armenians. The album paved the way for performances on prominent European stages.

Throughout 2023 and 2024, Ali performed in 18 countries across Europe and the Middle East, including prestigious venues such as Fundação Gulbenkian (with a sold-out Grande Auditório, seating 1,203) and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg (featuring one trio performance and another with the dengbêj Saîdê Goyî, both sold out).

You can trust the excellent artistry of Ali Doğan and his musicians and the professionalism of the whole team.

Ali has several line-ups, programs and additional activities available and is open to new ideas:

• Trio and quartet, program of songs from the peoples of Eastern Anatolia.
• Solo program of Sacred Songs from Alevi’s tradition.
• Concert with Saîdê Goyî.
• Workshop on Eastern Anatolian music, adaptable for the general public or musicians.
• Q&A session with the audience after the concert.