The artist initiative Hunergeha Welat, based in Qamishli (Qamişlo), North and East Syria, has released a new song titled “Gujje Çemê Me” (“The Current of Our River”) in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and their fight against the Turkish military and Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).
The music clip, sung in Kurdish and published on 31 December, gained 37,000 views within three days. The song is dedicated to the SDF fighters repelling SNA attacks at the Tishreen (Tişrîn) Dam and Qara Quzak (Qara Qozaq) bridge, which are both crossing points of the Euphrates River, considered of great strategical importance for the defense of the city of Kobani (Kobanê) and the whole region under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
At the beginning of the clip, Hunergeha Welat, which means “Art atelier of the country”, states that they produced this piece “In support of the resistance fighters who are resisting and fighting for our existence or non-existence; this piece is a gift to our Syrian Democratic Forces, the souls of the martyrs, the fighters and friends who are resisting in the positions on the war fronts of Qara Qozak Bridge, Tishreen Dam, Manbij and Kobani.”
The lyrics of the song, performed by artist Selah Ibrahîm, were written by Ibrahîm Feqe and Şêro Hindê. The melody was prepared by Mehmud Berazî and the music video filmed by Roder Dimilî, Mihemed Mûsa and Welat Seyid. The resistance of the SDF is celebrated with lyrics such as “The courageous friends made the herd of hyenas flee” (Çelengo lo hevalo qaç kir keriyê keftara).
Founded in 2014, the Hunergeha Welat music community has recorded close to 300 songs and 60 music videos, and provides musical education for children. In their pieces, they aim to reflect the current revolutionary spirit and the feelings of Rojava’s society. The Hunergeha Welat studio is also a chronicler of the resistance in the various regions of Rojava and other parts of Kurdistan. The initiative is named after the artist Welat, who was killed in an ISIS car bomb attack in 2013.
