Karapetê Xaço
The Armenian dengbêj who became a guardian of Kurmancî kilams.
- Region
- Bakur / Armenia
- Born
- circa 1900
- Died
- 2005
Karapetê Xaço (circa 1900-2005) was an Armenian singer who became one of the greatest guardians of the Kurmancî kilam. Orphaned by the massacres of 1915 and raised among Kurds, he sang the dengbêj repertoire for a century, later living in Armenia, where radio recordings preserved his voice. For Kurds his life carries a double meaning: the tradition he kept alive, and the brotherhood of two wounded peoples embodied in one voice. His recordings remain a primary source for how classical kilams were sung.
Sources
← All artists