Kurdish artist releases album in honor of Halabja victims

“I dedicate this album to the victims and their families.”
The logo of the new album in memoriam of the victims of Halabja (Photo: Pervin Chakar/Twitter)
The logo of the new album in memoriam of the victims of Halabja (Photo: Pervin Chakar/Twitter)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On the 35th anniversary of the Halabja genocide, Pervin Chakar, a Kurdish soprano singer based in Europe, will release an album in memoriam of the victims on March 14. 

“I dedicate this album to the victims and their families,” Chakar told Kurdistan 24. “The Halabja massacre is one of the biggest tragedies that the Kurds of Iraq have suffered.”

In August last year, Chakar performed at the Erbil citadel and later traveled to Halabja. “I was impressed and felt it with my heart.”

During her visit, she saw a poem of the famous poet Sherko Bekas (1940-2013) on the wall in the Halabja museum. “Then I thought I could compose some of Sherko Bekas poems for the 35th anniversary of the Halabja massacre.”

“Many composers have composed compositions to describe tragedies and massacres. For example the Italian composer, Luigi Nono, composed “Ricorda cosa ti hanno fatto in Auschwitz (remember what they did to you in Auschwitz) and Polish composer, Krzysztof Penderecki. composed the Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima.”

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She argued that people should show interest not only in Hiroshima and Auschwitz, but also in Halabja. She added that many people are unaware of the atrocities committed against the Kurds, like in Halabja, or in Roboski, where 34 civilians were killed by Turkish bombardment in the Sirnak province. 

She explained that this unique album was composed by Chakar, Tommaso Saturnia and Ezgi Tekin.

“Sherko Bekas was one of the famous poets of modern times. He has many poems on Halabja. For me, Sherko Bekas is Halabja’s observer and spirit.”

Although Chakar was originally born in the town of Mardin, where the Kurdish dialect of Kurmanci is spoken, she sang the song “Çwardey Mang Bû” (the fourteenth of the month) in the Italian and Sorani dialect.

“I sang Çwardey Mang Bû - Una Poesia Per Halabja in Italian to thank the Italian people and Laura. I composed and sang a Bajar poem in Zazakî dialect” to preserve the dying language.

She hopes to travel to Halabja again and present the album to the Halabja Museum. “I just want the listeners of my album on digital platforms to remember this day.”

“Every year, the Kurdistan Region commemorates the anniversary of the 1988 Halabja chemical attacks, which killed 5,000 civilians, including women and children, while injuring 10,000 people.

People across the Kurdistan Region and the world commemorate the day in memory of the victims every year on March 16. 

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Recently Siyabulela Mandela, the great-grandson of the former South African President Nelson Mandela, also visited Halabja and declared his solidarity with the people of Kurdistan.