When Music Performance Becomes Cultural Diplomacy: Sami Yusuf’s “Kökler” in Turkey

Sami Yusuf Returns to Turkey with “Kökler,” a Program Rooted in Cultural Dialogue

Sami Yusuf's career offers a rare case where cultural diplomacy is not just a framing device but a matter of institutional record. Of Azerbaijani origin, born in Iran and raised in London, he draws on Persian, Turkish, Arab, and Western classical traditions in his music. That cross-cultural practice has translated into formal roles: in 2014, the United Nations World Food Programme named him its Global Ambassador Against Hunger; he also serves as the first Global Ambassador for Silatech, a Qatar-based initiative supporting youth employment across the MENA region. In 2019, his composition series "Timeless Spirit of Heritage," commissioned by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture, was presented at UNESCO's 43rd World Heritage Committee session in Baku—placing his music inside an actual UNESCO diplomatic proceeding rather than merely alongside one. This September, he brings that same practice to Turkey with "Kökler" ("Roots"), a program created exclusively for concerts in Ankara (ATO Congresium, 23–24 September) and Istanbul (Harbiye Auditorium, 27–28 September). His visit offers CDF a concrete opening: not simply to invoke the language of cultural bridge-building, but to engage directly with an artist whose career has already been formally woven into UN and UNESCO frameworks for dialogue.