The Kurdish German Culture Institute plans to publish all the works of Şakiro, one of the most important and recognised dengbejs, for the first time.
The recital (kilam) songs of the dengbêjs form a fascinating source of Kurdish cultural expression and social living experiences. They are ‘singer-poets’ who used to – and still -perform at village meetings and gatherings at weddings.
The Kurdish German Culture Institute had previously published 900-songs from the Kurdish archives of Yerevan Radio on digital platforms in April. Eight selected songs were reinterpreted using classical music. One of the main purposes of the Kurdish German Culture Institute is to preserve and promote the songs of the Kurdish dengbêj Şakiro. The institute has declared 2021 to be the year of “Şakiro”.
Şakiro was a young boy when he was sent to Adana in Turkey in 1959. After seven years of exile, his family returned to Muş in 1966, and after two years, they settled in the Gogsi district of Erzurum. Şakiro’s voice as a dengbej is unique and he is well known in the Middle East. He passed away in İzmir in 1996.