Mem Ararat

Mem Ararat — Biography

Mehmet Esen, known by his stage name Mem Ararat, was born on 17 September 1981 in the village of Girkê Şêxê in the Derik district of Mardin. His family moved west due to economic hardship in 1989, returned to their village in 1991, and were forced to move west again in 1994, this time for political reasons. These repeated migrations meant he could only complete primary school, and although he had been drawn to music since childhood, limited opportunities delayed his start in it.

He returned to his home region in 2007 and settled in Kızıltepe, Mardin, working in farming, field labour, construction and trade before launching his professional music career in 2014 with his first album, Quling Ewr Û Baran. He went on to release the albums Kurdîka, Xewna Bajarekî, Niştiman, Pesna Evînê and Nefel. In 2020 authorities cancelled his concerts in Mersin, Diyarbakır and Bursa; he stated that the ban stemmed from his singing in Kurdish and said he would continue performing.

In 2026 he drew public attention over a copyright dispute with the label KOM Müzik and obstacles to performing at Istanbul's Harbiye open-air stage, a controversy that also drew a written statement from fellow musician Şivan Perwer.