Acculturation and its Impact on the Changes of Techniques, Structure, and Repertoire of Narmey Ney in Contemporary Period

Music reflects a strong cultural tradition in Kurdistan province, which is passed down orally from generation to generation and bears a collective character. Narmeh Nay, an aerophone and one of the main musical instruments in Kurdistan province and the Mokryian region, has gained popularity over the last fifty years and is widely used in celebratory occasions to perform Gorani. The exchanges among musical culture of these regions with other cultural fields, such as other Kurdish speaking areas and Iranian, Turkish, and Arabic music, have resulted in the expansion of the repertoire of this instrument along with the emergence of new platforms for performance, such as concert halls and studio recordings. In the last few decades, the emergence of radio and the production of new songs, inspired by Kurdish music culture blending with Dastagahi music and traditional cultures, has led to the composition of new Goranis that correspond to the modal systems of Homayoun, Mahor, Chahargah and Isfahan. In the past, it was not possible to perform these Goranis with the previous intervals and playing techniques of Narmeh Ney and Sorna, which were the main melodic instruments in their ceremonies, not to mention that the musicians were also not equipped to accompany other instruments or singers. As an example, the introduction of new instruments, such as Synthesizer and Divan, in wedding ceremonies where Narmeh Ney and Sorna are traditionally performed, has introduced challenges to these musicians. Additionally, regarding the performance venues of Kurdish music, the cultural exchanges that have taken place in recent decades, have led to the introduction of new possibilities and contexts, such as concert halls, for the presentation of music in the urban environment of Kurdistan.These cultural exchanges, as well as new platforms for Narmeh Ney players to perform music, have made a significant impact on the musical traditions of the Kurdistan region. To adapt to these transformations, some musicians have changed their playing techniques and the instrument’s structure in order to be able to accompany other instruments or find a larger audience. Using established theories of "acculturation," and its impact on instrument changes, this article examines the cause and transformation of this instrument in the music of Kurdistan province. This research demonstrates that as the result of cultural exchanges, such as the introduction of new instruments in the region, the performance of Kurdish music in orchestral form in concert halls, and the need to accompany other instruments in new venues, Narmeh Nay has undergone some major transformations. These major changes have led to a rising prevalence of using Narmeh Nay in musical performances across the Kurdistan province. This research has benefitted from qualitative methods to collect and analyze data. Weaving together participant observation, in-depth interviews, and archival research, this study aims at explaining the transformation of this instrument in light of these exchanges, taking into account the performative culture of this instrument as a dynamic phenomenon. In order to explain the potential scale of Narmeh Ney, the natural sounds were first extracted and analyzed, and then the variable and added melodies were written using new techniques.