Jigaraki

Jigaraki is a concert by the Berlin trio Elèni Mik, Nafsika Gkotzamani, and Hanik Soleimani. As FLINTA+ artists, they create a space where diverse traditions meet experimental performance - with the voice at its centre.

The trio draws from Balkan, Eastern Mediterranean, Anatolian, Byzantine, Makam, and Dastgah traditions, treating them as living material: fragmented, reassembled, rethought through contemporary composition, storytelling, and politically engaged performance. Their concept of "fake folk music" invents a folklore that feels familiar yet never existed - with fictional rituals and multilingual texts that raise questions about authenticity, ownership, and identity. Neither pop aesthetics nor strict preservation: musical systems are understood as open vocabularies for transformation and dialogue. Inspired by the Meykhane, they create participatory performances that consciously challenge its historically exclusionary character.

On September 18 and 19, performances of "Zai el Lila", a work by Hanik Soleimani and Marianna Wicha, are also taking place.