Maryam Turkey, Slowspin, Arjun Shah

Iraqi-American musician and award-winning visual artist Maryam Turkey releases her new single "Ya Amma" on Friday, October 9, 2026, via Otherly Love Records. Turkey will celebrate the release with a New York show on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at NuBlu (151 Ave C), joined by Slowspin and Arjun Shah, from 7:00 to 10:00 PM.

"Ya Amma," meaning "Auntie," draws its lyrics from a traditional Iraqi song about an aunt's disapproval of love: "What kind of aunt are you? You don't understand me." The aunt stands in for the face of society itself, close enough to the family to be trusted, yet carrying forward its restrictions.

"For me, the song speaks to my love of singing and the disapproval of women singing among my extended family back home, an ongoing battle I am still navigating," said Turkey. Lyrics are by Saif Aldin Walayi. The song was written by Maryam Turkey, Joshua White, Will Graefe and produced by Benjamin Lazar Davis.

"Ya Amma" follows Turkey's debut album, Hiragt el Rouh, released via Otherly Love Records, which reinterprets traditional Iraqi folk music through a contemporary, genre-fluid lens. Singing primarily in Arabic, Turkey bridges her roots in Baghdad with her current life in the United States, drawing on haunting vocals, raw storytelling, and hypnotic rhythms that challenge cultural and musical boundaries.