Efforts Underway to Relocate Legendary Kurdish Singer Shakiro’s Grave to Ağrı
Shakiro, born in 1936 in Ağrı province, remains one of the most celebrated Kurdish folk singers.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Sırrı Sakık, a Member of Parliament from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) representing Ağrı province, has announced efforts to relocate the grave of renowned Kurdish singer Shakiro from Izmir to his birthplace in Ağrı, eastern Turkey (North Kurdistan).
Sakık revealed that consultations with Shakiro’s family have taken place, resulting in a decision to move the late artist’s resting place to his hometown. “We want to bring Shakiro back to Ağrı, the land of our ancestors. In this way, his soul may finally find peace,” Sakık said in a video message shared on the social media platform X.
He added that Shakiro was “not just an ordinary singer but a significant figure in Kurdish literature and culture,” stressing the enduring influence of the artist’s work.
Who was Shakiro?
Shakiro, born in 1936 in Ağrı province, remains one of the most celebrated Kurdish folk singers. In 1959, he and his family were exiled to Adana. Over his career, he recorded around 70 cassettes, drawing from real-life events he witnessed as well as themes of love and longing.
Although his father was a well-known singer, Shakiro developed his art independently, traveling across Kurdish villages and regions to turn their stories into music.
He died in 1996 in Izmir, where he was buried. Now, nearly three decades later, efforts are underway to bring him back to his homeland.
