This year, Dutch-Kurdish artist Meral Polat, an actress, musician, and theater producer, will release her second album Meydan with the Meral Polat Trio. The album builds on her 2022 debut, Ez Ki Me, which was inspired by the poetry of her father, who passed away suddenly in 2020.

Polat, born in Amsterdam, has appeared in several theater productions, including The Veiled Monologues, after graduating from theater school in Amsterdam in 2004.

In 2008, she won the Guido de Moor Prize for her role in Hollandse Spoor and has acted in various Dutch TV series and films. She also played Anne Frank opposite Victor Low as Joseph Goebbels. Her breakthrough came with the role of Mel in the hit TV series De Luizenmoeder, which opened many doors for her.

A simmering music background

Despite her acting career, Polat never expected to become a musical artist. “Music was there before anything else, like water, like bread,” she said. “In my family there was always music. Many of my family members had beautiful voices and played instruments like the baglama.”

“Songs and poetry are a way of existing, protesting, and feeling. I learned our music – both Alevi spiritual songs and Kurdish folk songs. I never imagined I could build a career out of it,” she said.

Polat’s mother was born in Dersim (Tunceli), Turkey, in 1982. Her father was born in Gumushane, though his roots are also in Dersim – his grandfather fled there before the 1938 Dersim genocide committed by the Turkish state against Alevi Kurds. Her parents moved to the Netherlands in the 1980s, where she was born. Her family practiced Alevism, a heterodox Shi’a Muslim tradition with pre-Islamic roots.

“Music was also an important part of the connection between my father and me. While cleaning out his house with my little brother after his sudden passing in November 2020, we found a notebook full of poems in Kurdish, Turkish, and Dutch.”

Who am I?

Polat said her father’s poetry dealt with politics, the Kurdish struggle, activism, spirituality, nature, migration, love, and what it means to be human. “It was an unbelievable treasure – a insight into his soul. My father was an artist. He didn’t need to publish or perform; he created to make sense of feelings, life, and experience.

“This is what art is: a way to express oneself, as an archive, as a weapon. That’s when I knew: this was his legacy to me, and with his poems, I would make my first album.”

The album is titled Ez Ki Me – which means ‘Who am I?’ – translated by Kurdish poet and translator Kawa Nemir. “It was like the universe supported our mission – suddenly, support came from everywhere,” she said.

De Volkskrant, one of the Netherlands’ major newspapers, gave the album four stars and called it a “modern interpretation of Anatolian folk.” The Mixed World Music included it among its top 10 albums of 2022. In 2024, it was nominated for a Songlines Music Award in the Fusion category.

“It all started with that question: who am I? That’s where the journey began. I’ve always wondered: Who are we? What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? These questions have always lived inside me. Maybe that’s why I became an actress – to understand human behavior, the power of storytelling, to be like an alchemist shifting the space around me.

Polat recalled asking her father what it meant for him to be human. “He laughed and called it an impossible question. But a few weeks later, I found an envelope in my mailbox with a poem – Ez Ki Me.

After his passing, she found herself grappling with identity and purpose. “You start asking again: who am I? What do I want to do with my time? My answer was clear: music. I want to know myself, to soul, the heart, to learn. I began diving deeper into where I came from – why I couldn’t speak Kurdish, what assimilation meant, and the teachings of Alevism.

Meydan: Exploring identity

Her upcoming album, Meydan, due in September, means “square” in both Kurdish and Turkish, referring both to a physical gathering place and a spiritual and philosophical place.

Polat said the album features her own lyrics and explores femininity and identity. “My identity has many aspects – daughter, diaspora artist, Kurdish woman. The whole makes me who I am. I’m exploring these layers, sharing their stories from different perspectives.”

She described the Kurdish and Alevi community in the Netherlands and abroad as “so beautiful.” “I’m so grateful to honor my father and his legacy with this album, and to share my roots, drawing inspiration from both East and West.”

She praised her collaborators, including Chris Doyle, Frank Rosaly, Anthony Kappel, and Paul Koek. “Kurdish audiences have responded positively,” she said. “They’re open to experimental approaches in music and performance.”

Fusion in sound

Her music blends Kurdish soul, jazz fusion, and blues. “It’s who we are. As migrants, we grow up surrounded by different styles,” she said.

“I listened to Maarten van Roozendaal, System of a Down, Ahmet Kaya, Aynur Dogan, and Nina Simone – all at the same time. Frank Rosaly is a Puerto Rican drummer from Chicago’s eclectic jazz scene. Chris Doyle, from Maine, trained at Berklee, with roots in Afrobeat and jazz. Even some Kurdish dengbej songs are pure blues. These genres may seem distant, but they’re deeply connected.”

In addition to her Kurdish fanbase, Polat also reaches a Dutch audience. “The Dutch audience knows me already. I’ve been on stage and onscreen for 20 years this year and I am grateful to say that I have a mixed audience. With this music I am so happy to meet a whole new Kurdish community that I hadn’t experienced before. This is a gift the music brought me. When we connect, when we unite, we become stronger.”

Love over rules

Polat has performed in the Netherlands and internationally. “We’ve played in Kurdistan, Turkey, the Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. It’s magical to connect with people across the world through music.”

She’s now focusing more on music than acting. “Music feeds my soul. I love combining different platforms, disciplines, and approaches to tell a story – whether through acting or singing. Right now, my focus is music.”

She runs the entire process herself through Stichting Babisko, a foundation she created after her father’s death. “Babisko was my nickname for him. When he died, my mountain, my sunshine, was gone. This foundation allows us to keep his support alive. It helps us produce and release music, and organize concerts.”

Polat said that her father always supported her, even when her choices went against cultural norms. “He chose love over rules. Even when he didn’t fully agree, he trusted me to make my own way. Because of both my parents’ support, I’ve been able to thrive.”

Wladimir van Wilgenburg is a seasoned reporter and analyst who specializes in Kurdish affairs, and holds a Master’s degree in Kurdish studies from Exeter University, UK.