Kurdish songwriter Sîmir Rûdan has released his third studio album, Ez û Gîtara Xwe (Me and My Guitar). The 10-track album features stripped-back arrangements consisting solely of vocal and guitar performances.
Written, composed, and arranged entirely by Rûdan, Ez û Gîtara Xwe was largely self-produced and recorded by the artist. Rûdan noted that minor recording imperfections were intentionally left uncorrected to preserve authenticity, with nearly half of the tracks recorded without a metronome. The album was mixed and mastered by Hakan Kurşun, while the polyphonic classical guitar arrangements draw directly from Rûdan’s background in classical guitar.
Click and listen to tracks from the album on YouTube.
Themes of the songs
The album centers heavily on themes of longing, distance, and isolation. The opening track, “Tu Dûr î” (“You Are Far”), sets the tone with its opening line: “One side of me is exposed, I am always cold.” Subsequent tracks like “Kendalên Bêbinî” (“Bottomless Chasm”), “Rosa,” “Mona Lisa,” “Derewên Te” (“Your Lies”), and “Bi Xatirê Te” (“Goodbye”) further explore themes of emotional distance and seclusion, while “Min Nîne” (“I Do Not Have”) functions as a plea.
“Ez ê Nekarim” (“I Won’t Be Able To”) addresses human limitations, such as the inability to wander the streets of distant cities, meet every remarkable person, or read every great book. Despite this sense of grief and emptiness, the track shifts toward a persistent search for openness to life.
In contrast, “Hûlê Hej Te Dikim” (“This Is How I Love You”) stands out for its focus on love. Unlike the remaining nine tracks, it is performed in the local Kurdish dialect of Cizre, where Rûdan was born and raised. The closing track, “Muzîk Heye” (“There Is Music”), brings the project to a close with a celebration of music itself.
Designed by Candan Giyen, the cover artwork features a colorful guitar and a broken heart rather than a traditional portrait. Though described by some listeners as minimalist, the design reflects the album’s core themes of loss and incompleteness. A line accidentally drawn over the guitar’s sound hole during the illustration process was deliberately left intact.
Background and previous works of Rûdan
Sîmir Rûdan debuted in 2013 with his self-written and arranged album Bi Çîrokî (Fairy-tale-like), which was named Album of the Year by the arts and culture outlet Hawar.net. In 2015, he contributed the track “Berfîn” (“Snowdrop”) to the collaborative album Peşk (Drop), followed by his second solo album, Kevî (Shore), in 2019.
In 2024, Rûdan released two consecutive singles, “Hê Jî Digerim” (“I Am Still Wandering”) and “Yekî Gotibû” (“Someone Once Said”). He also performed “Birîn” (“Wound”) for Na, Ne Tenê Me! (No, I Am Not Alone!), a tribute project honoring Mehmet Atlı’s 30-year career. Throughout 2025, he released a series of works including “Sira Sibê,” “Fîncan,” “Reng Esmerê,” “Ez Berf im,” and “Her Evîndarê Caran im.”