24.09.2025 15:01
The artist Maral stated that she has faced pressures at times in her music career due to her distanced stance from politics. Maral, who emphasized that she performs her music from a universal perspective, mentioned that she has been warned and criticized for not delivering provocative messages through identity and politics.
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Born in Bingöl, singer Maral was a guest on the Haber Bahane program hosted by Gökay Kalaycıoğlu in the Haberler.com studio. The artist, who shared her career journey from childhood to London, made striking statements about identity, music, and society.
During the program, Kalaycıoğlu opened the topic of ethnic identity and made the following assessment: "Emphasizing that Turkey is a mosaic without losing your ethnic identity is one thing. Making provocative and inciting politics based on ethnic identity is another." In response, Maral explained her distance from politics with the words, "I have always been against this."
"I DON'T DO POLITICS EITHER"
In response to Kalaycıoğlu's words, "Politics doesn't exist in your vocabulary," Maral replied, "No, no. Maybe you have noticed this. Never. I am aware that music is universal, and in my opinion, an artist truly has no color, identity, or stance. When I was in elementary school, my teacher told me, 'If you are doing this job, you must either be characterless or have a dual personality.' At that time, I couldn't understand what she meant. Years later, I learned this: you have to be like an artist on stage. Whether you are happy, whether you are facing death, whether you have a fight, whether you have a cause... you cannot do these things on stage. Because you have an audience, and you must always give your best. However, once you step off the stage, you are a completely different character. You are the woman who carries the identity you mentioned, who has a stance, who has lines. Therefore, having a dual personality is this. I never confuse my stage persona with my own identity. In fact, I react to those who take it to a partisan level. Because that is a very different place. That is a matter of livelihood. I only care about the livelihood."
"I WAS NOT THREATENED, BUT I WAS WARNED"
In response to Kalaycıoğlu's question, "Have you been criticized for not including politics, for not getting into provocative work? Didn't they pressure you by saying, 'What kind of Kurdish girl are you, what kind of Zaza are you? Why aren't you sending messages, why aren't you shouting slogans?' Did you receive threats for this?" Maral answered, "It can't be said that I was threatened a lot, but of course, I was warned. There were those who said, 'Why aren't you doing this, go ahead, girl. You read this, you say that, why aren't you doing it?' But I am a smart soloist. I have always known very well where and what to do. I didn't have such a cause anyway. I wanted my song to be heard, recognized, and known by the whole world. Thank God I experienced that."
JOURNEY TO LONDON
Maral shared that she fought to receive conservatory education despite her family's objections at a young age and carved her own path by performing in folk music bars. The artist, who stated that she brought her music to international platforms, said she had the opportunity to introduce Turkish music to foreign audiences during her years in London.
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