In the 20th and 21st century, the tradition of singer-poets gained
popularity in Eastern Turkey and its neighboring countries. Many of
these artists were bi- or multilingual and thus representative of the
ethnically diverse region of Eastern Anatolia. The connection to oral
traditions of the region is evident in the singer-poets' songs, music
and text. This anthology illustrates the variety of singer-poet
traditions from an interdisciplinary perspective by discussing, among
other topics, the artists' employment as national symbol, the role of
gender, and the different styles that are grown out of this kind of
music.