Artists
The voices of Kurdish music, from the nineteenth-century dengbêj masters to today’s most streamed singers. Every profile is written by our editorial team and lists its sources.
Şivan Perwer
The most influential Kurdish voice of the modern era.
Singer, modernizer of Kurdish musicCiwan Haco
The pioneer who married Kurmancî song with jazz, rock and pop.
Contemporary Kurmancî singer and poetMem Ararat
The quiet poet of today’s Kurmancî song.
Master dengbêjŞakiro
Called the king of dengbêj: the most celebrated voice of the tradition.
SingerRojda
A leading female voice of Kurmancî song and kilam.
Singer, international stage artistAynur
The voice that carried Kurdish song onto the world’s concert stages.
Singer, composer, film directorNizamettin Ariç
Composer and film-maker who gave Kurdish song a cinematic breadth.
Wedding and govend singerHozan Dîno
One of the defining voices of the Kurdish wedding floor in Europe.
Contemporary singerRewşan Çeliker
A refined contemporary voice bringing Kurmancî song to new stages.
Soranî pop iconZakaria Abdulla
The defining Soranî pop voice of the 1990s and 2000s.
Folk and Hewramî-rooted singerAziz Waisi
A beloved folk voice bridging village tradition and the modern stage.
Classical Soranî singerAdnan Karim
The keeper of the classical Soranî song and maqam tradition.
Legendary Soranî singerHassan Zirak
The most prolific legend of Soranî song.
Legendary dengbêj, father of the traditionEvdalê Zeynikê
The nineteenth-century master remembered as the father of dengbêj.
DengbêjKarapetê Xaço
The Armenian dengbêj who became a guardian of Kurmancî kilams.
Pioneer of recorded Kurdish songMeryem Xan
The first great female voice of Kurdish music on record.
Harpist and singerTara Jaff
The harpist who gave Kurdish melody a new ancient instrument.
Legendary female singerAyşe Şan
The tragic queen of Kurdish song.
Singer, voice of Kurdish-Armenian brotherhoodAram Tigran
The Armenian singer who gave his life to Kurdish song.
Classic singer of the early recording eraKawîs Axa
The first great Kurdish voice captured on record.
Classic radio-era singerMihemed Arif Cizrawî
The golden voice of the Kurdish radio era.
Beloved Behdînî singerTehsîn Taha
The defining modern voice of the Behdînî song.
Master of the Kurdish maqamElî Merdan
The father of the Kurdish maqam school.
Singer across Kurmancî and SoranîXêro Abbas
A bridge voice singing in both great Kurdish dialects.
Contemporary singer of the kilam revivalŞahê Bedo
A leading voice of the current kilam and stran revival.
Master dengbêjDengbêj Reso
The master’s master of the Serhed dengbêj school.