Çiğdem Aslan (pronounced Chee-dem) is a rising star in the revival of rebetiko, the bitter-sweet, devil-may-care songs of an exiled underclass, sung in hash dens and 'Café Amans' of Athens, Piraeus and İstanbul from the 1920s - 40s. With strong roots in the port of Smyrna/İzmir, rebetiko is a culture shared by Greeks and Turks that developed in mainland Greece following forced population exchanges, and was famously outlawed in both countries for its association with the underworld and being too 'oriental' in outlook. ‘Mortissa’ (a strong independent woman) , Çiğdem's first release, is an album of smyrneika/rebetiko songs in Greek and Turkish. Although there have been many recordings of rebetiko over the years, Çiğdem Aslan presents a fresh take, an emigrant herself from her homeland, a person from a minority ethnic group, a female singer in a usually male genre. Çiğdem Aslan was born in the heart of İstanbul to Kurdish Alevi parents and currently resides in London, UK. Apart from her own rebetiko project, Çiğdem sings with several successful bands including the award-winning She’koyokh Klezmer Ensemble and Dunav. Dunav has been in existence for over forty years and play music from Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia and Greece. The Tahir Palalı & Çiğdem Aslan Duo presents folk songs from different regions of Anatolia with kopuz (ancient sacred stringed instrument), bağlama (lute) and frame drums. Over the years, Çiğdem has performed her music in many different places - from street performances to the London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall, where she supported Turkish diva Sezen Aksu.