Mortissa (a strong independent woman) is the debut album by Cigdem Aslan, featuring smyrneika/rebetiko songs in Greek and Turkish with musical roots in Anatolia. The music arose in the turbulent times of the 1920s, from an underground scene of freedom-loving people - appropriate for the current political situation. An immigrant of a minority ethnic group and a female singer in a typically male genre, Aslan presents a fresh take on rebetiko. Having made her mark singing as a lead singer of the award-winning She'koyokh Klezmer Ensemble and as an opening act for Sezen Aksu and Yasmin Levy, Aslan is ready to take the stage as a star in her own right.