Syrian-Kurdish singer and bouzouki player Mohammad Syfkhan returns to OTO to celebrate I Love You Ireland, his second album for Nyahh Records and first of all original compositions.

Before settling in Ireland, Syfkhan worked as a surgical nurse and led the Al-Rabie Band in Raqqa, performing Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish repertoire alongside his own compositions. His live sets centre on voice, bouzouki and drum machine, drawing on decades of music-making with an exuberant, unmistakably personal intensity.

Following 2024’s acclaimed I Am Kurdish, the new album is his first consisting entirely of original compositions. Recorded with a full ensemble and string arrangements by Syrian cellist and composer Naseem Alatrash, it expands his music through violin, cello, saxophone, bass and percussion. Fast Kurdish dabke and the melodic traditions of Middle Eastern song meet in recordings that recall the expressive power of artists such as Fairuz and Umm Kulthum.

The record is also deeply personal. Its title is an expression of gratitude to Ireland, where Syfkhan and his family found refuge after fleeing the war in Syria. On ‘Ah Yu Donia’, he addresses the loss of his son, while ‘Al Huriya’ incorporates an Irish reel, connecting the musical traditions of his adopted home with those of his earlier life.

For this performance, Syfkhan appears solo, accompanying his singing and bouzouki with drum machine.