Sivan Perwer
Encyclopedia
Şivan Perwer (born on September 23, 1955 in Sarıdam (Sorî), Siverek
, Turkey
as İsmail Aygün) is a Kurdish poet, writer, musical teacher, singer, and performer on the tembûr
(lute
). Şivan currently lives in exile after fleeing Turkey in 1976 because of his music. He holds several honorary doctorates in music..
s were banned in Iraq
, Syria
,and Turkey
because they are sung in Kurdish
and often cite the oppression against the Kurdish people in the Middle East. Cassettes of his music were passed along from hand to hand, despite the risk of imprisonment
or death
.
Şivan became famous during the period of Kurdish protests against Iraqi rule at Ankara University
in 1972. His homemade recordings were smuggled
over the border
, while thousands of people came to see him perform live. Fearing for his life and the welfare of his family and after calls from Turkish authorities demanding his arrest, he fled Turkey and settled in Germany
in 1976. There, Şivan recorded his first official album of traditional Kurdish songs.
In 1991, Şivan appeared at the "Simple Truth" Live aid concert, performing alongside Peter Gabriel
, Sting, Paul Simon
, Tom Jones
, Gipsy Kings
as well as other international artists. The proceeds from the concert went to the aid of Kurdish refugees in the Iraqi Kurdistan
fleeing the Gulf War and was considered as one of the most important humanitarian efforts for the region.
In 2004, Şivan took an initiative for the improvement of culture in society by establishing the Sivan Perwer International Cultural Foundation in Frankfurt, Germany.
On Tuesday March 21, 2006, Perwer Şivan was featured on PRI's
The World
in their Global Hits segment.
In March 2011, Perwer met with Turkey's deputy prime minister in Germany, and said that he would support the Turkish administration's efforts to find a political solution to the conflict between the PKK and the Turkish government. Immediately afterwards Perwer was accused by the Kurdistan Workers Party of being a traitor. News agencies also carried reports claiming that the Kurdistan Workers Party ordered him killed.
Thus far, Şivan Perwer has over twenty-five albums, music videos and documentaries. He has written several books and several other publications as well. Şivan has a career expanding over thirty years and has received many honorary Doctorates and International World music prizes.
He has composed music and sung many songs using the poetry of the late Kurdish poet, Cigerxwîn
. Cigerxwîn was well-known for his poetry about the Kurdish struggle and also about Kurdish culture and history. At one time, Cigerxwîn referred to Şivan as "the Voice of his poetry". Kurdish songs (or dengbej) are considered by some to be one of the key elements in preserving the Kurdish culture and history.
Category:1955 births
Siverek
Siverek is a town and district in the south-east of Turkey, in Şanlıurfa Province. Population 107,634 ; 247,000 .Siverek is in Şanlıurfa province but closer geographically to the large city of Diyarbakır...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
as İsmail Aygün) is a Kurdish poet, writer, musical teacher, singer, and performer on the tembûr
Tembûr
The tembûr, a fretted string instrument, is a form of tanbūr. It is associated with the Ahl-e Haqq religion in Kurdish areas and in the Lorestān and Sistan va Baluchestan provinces of Iran. It is currently the only musical instrument used in Ahl-e Haqq rituals, and practitioners venerate the...
(lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
). Şivan currently lives in exile after fleeing Turkey in 1976 because of his music. He holds several honorary doctorates in music..
Biography
For many years, his songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s were banned in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
,and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
because they are sung in Kurdish
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
and often cite the oppression against the Kurdish people in the Middle East. Cassettes of his music were passed along from hand to hand, despite the risk of imprisonment
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
or death
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
.
Şivan became famous during the period of Kurdish protests against Iraqi rule at Ankara University
Ankara University
Ankara University is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in the Turkish Republic....
in 1972. His homemade recordings were smuggled
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
over the border
International Border
The India–Pakistan Border , known locally as the International Border , is the international boundary between India and Pakistan that demarcates the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat from the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh. Pakistan borders India in the east. The border...
, while thousands of people came to see him perform live. Fearing for his life and the welfare of his family and after calls from Turkish authorities demanding his arrest, he fled Turkey and settled in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1976. There, Şivan recorded his first official album of traditional Kurdish songs.
In 1991, Şivan appeared at the "Simple Truth" Live aid concert, performing alongside Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Sting, Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Gipsy Kings
Gipsy Kings
The Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, who perform in Spanish with an Andalucían accent. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. Chico Bouchikhi is of...
as well as other international artists. The proceeds from the concert went to the aid of Kurdish refugees in the Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
fleeing the Gulf War and was considered as one of the most important humanitarian efforts for the region.
In 2004, Şivan took an initiative for the improvement of culture in society by establishing the Sivan Perwer International Cultural Foundation in Frankfurt, Germany.
On Tuesday March 21, 2006, Perwer Şivan was featured on PRI's
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
The World
The World (radio program)
PRI's The World is a global news radio, audio and multi-platform program created by Public Radio International based on the program's congruence with PRI's mission, and in order to fulfill the critical need for more original global news created for and provided to Americans. This was partly a...
in their Global Hits segment.
In March 2011, Perwer met with Turkey's deputy prime minister in Germany, and said that he would support the Turkish administration's efforts to find a political solution to the conflict between the PKK and the Turkish government. Immediately afterwards Perwer was accused by the Kurdistan Workers Party of being a traitor. News agencies also carried reports claiming that the Kurdistan Workers Party ordered him killed.
Thus far, Şivan Perwer has over twenty-five albums, music videos and documentaries. He has written several books and several other publications as well. Şivan has a career expanding over thirty years and has received many honorary Doctorates and International World music prizes.
He has composed music and sung many songs using the poetry of the late Kurdish poet, Cigerxwîn
Cigerxwîn
Cigerxwîn or Cegerxwîn was a renowned Kurdish polymath, and nationalist.He is known to be one of the most influential Kurdish writers and poets in the Kurdistan region of the Middle East, and his work has been renewed for the creation of hundreds of songs and played a crucial role in the...
. Cigerxwîn was well-known for his poetry about the Kurdish struggle and also about Kurdish culture and history. At one time, Cigerxwîn referred to Şivan as "the Voice of his poetry". Kurdish songs (or dengbej) are considered by some to be one of the key elements in preserving the Kurdish culture and history.
Discography
- Govenda Azadîxwazan (1974)
- Hevalê Bargiran im (1974)
- Herne Pêş (1975)
- Ey Ferat (1976)
- Kî ne Em (1977)
- Le Dilbere (1978)
- Hay Dil (1979)
- Gelê Min Rabe (1982)
- Agirî (1983)
- Bilbilo / Ferzê (1984)
- Dotmam (1985)
- Naze(1986)
- Helebçe (1988)
- Xewna Min / Qasimlo (1988)
- Zembîlfiroş (1989)
- Ya Sitar (1995)
- Hêviya Te (1999)
- Roj û Heyv (2000)
- Sare (2004)
- Cane Cane (2009)
External links
- Some songs by Shivan Perwer
- http://je-givara.narod.ru/
Category:1955 births