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KurdishMedia, UK
Jan 17 2005
Master of Kurdish dengbêjs Karapetê Xaço passes away
17/01/2005 KurdishMedia.com - By Brusk Chiwir Reshvan
Ottawa - Canada (KurdishMedia.com) 17 January 2004: Kurdish people
lost their influential living Dengbêj Karapetê Xaço on January 15,
2005 in his village Yerevan, Armenia.
Karapetê Xaço was born in Bileyder (Beshiri) in the city of Batman
in northern Kurdistan [now part of Turkey], in 1902. He lost his
entire family in the Armenian Genocide in 1915 but was luckily
rescued and raised by a Kurdish family.
In 1929, after the Sheikh Said uprising, together with many Kurds who
were massacred by the Turks, Xaço fled to the city of Qamishlo in
Syrian Kurdistan which was then controlled by the French and
afterwards joined the French army and served there for 15 years and 3
months. After long years of service in the French army he retired and
was offered to be flown to France; however, he refused this offer.
In 1946 Xaço and his family moved to Armenia and settled in
Vozkihader village of Yerevan and lived there until his death. After
the opening of the Kurdish Service of Yerevan Radio, Xaço began to
sing on the radio programs in 1955.
In an interview, Xaço retells his experiences: `In Soviet era it was
forbidden to sing about aghas, feudal lords and God. Whenever I was
singing a `kilam' they were interfering by saying this one is about
an agha, this is about a feudal and god is mentioned in this song!
And I always responded, well, what shall I sing about then?'
Karapetê Xaço worked for Yerevan radio for many years. During these
years his voice reached the hearts of each and every Kurd all over
Kurdistan. It is hard to imagine a single Kurd who hasn't been
captivated by his `kilams'.
Very well-known Kurdish ballads Eyshana Elî, Evdalê Zeynikê,
Diyarbekir Peytext e, Edulê, Çume Cizîrê, Filîtê Quto, Zembîlfirosh,
Dewreshê Evdî, Meyrê and many other kilams were first sung by him.
`Lawikê Metinî', a beautiful kilam about the love of an Ezidi Kurdish
man and a Moslem Kurdish girl, has been sung by many dengbêj and
singers but none of them as affective and soulful as Karapetê Xaço.
Each time one listens to this kilam, Ape Karapet's voice, together
with the heart-rending mey (traditional flute) of Egidê Cimo, takes
you far away to Kurdistan...
`I began singing when I was 8 years old in Kurdistan and I sang all
my kilams in Kurdish. You can not find even one kilam in other
languages including Armenian. I am Kurdish and I sing all my kilams
in Kurdish. I never sang for money, in dengbêj tradition it is a
shame to sing for money. I can sing for a whole month, day and night
without a break'.
Karapetê Xaço befriended the prominent Kurdish writer and poet
Cegerxwîn and famous dengbêj Mihemed Arifê Cizirî and Seyîdê Cizirî
when he was in Qamishlo. Xaço not only served the Kurdish dengbêj
tradition and oral literature by singing hundreds of kilams and
passing on them to new generations but also educated many dengbêjs in
Armenia among the Ezidi Kurds and inspired countless new dengbêjs and
singers to sing and serve the Kurdish music.
Karapetê Xaço was 103 years old when he passed away. He has 1 son
and 4 daughters as well as 15 grand children. He was buried on
Saturday with the participation of thousands of people including
Keremê Seyyad of Kurdish Service of Yerevan Radio, Emerîkê Serdar and
Karlenê Çaçan of Kurdish Newspaper Rîya Teze, Çerkezê Resh of
Kurdistan Committee of Armenia, Egîdê Cimo, Feyzoyê Rizo, prominent
Kurdish musicians and many others. In his funeral, his son Seyrosh
Karapet said `although my father was of Armenian origin, he felt
closer to the Kurds, and for this reason he served Kurdish music as a
dengbêj. He always felt deeply the grief and sorrow of the Kurdish
people who have long suffered at least as much as the Armenian people
and wanted to express this pain with Kurdish kilams'.
Çerkezê Resh of the Kurdistan Committee of Armenia, in his speech
said, `Karapetê Xaço has made priceless contributions to Kurdish
dengbêj tradition and music and he was buried in to the heart of
Kurdistan. When I was in Amed, for the Kurdish Language and
Literature Conference, everyone was asking about Karapetê Xaço's
situation with great interest and I myself forwarded those special
wishes from the hearth of Kurdistan, Amed to him. He was very happy
to hear that Kurds had never forgotten him. Karapetê Xaço was not
only a great dengbêj but also a bridge of brotherhood between the
Kurdish and Armenia peoples. We will never forget him'.
Ape Karapet has always had a very speacial place for me. Each time I
listen to his voice, I get lost in thoughts and begin to a trip from
Mount Ararat to Cizira Botan, from Lawikê Metînî to Dewreshê Evdî,
from to Filitê Quto to Eyshana Elî, from Xezal to Edule, from Evdalê
Zeynike to Zembilfrosh. When I first heard he passed away, I
immediately called Keremê Seyyad of Radio Yerevan, Kurdish Service
with the hope of hearing that the news was untrue. Unfortunately it
was true and Keremê Seyyad was very sad but he was trying to give me
consolation. Each time I was calling Yerevan, I was asking Apê
Karapet's situation and each time Keremê Seyyad was assuring me that
he was fine. What a pity that the last time I called him it was
different because Karapetê Xaço had decided to go and leave behind
the kilams as orphans...
Thank you very much for all your service to Kurdish music and oral
literature. Thank you very much for your friendship. Thank you very
much the master of Dengbêjs. May God Bless You, Apê Karapet.
Lawike Metini
Lê lê dayîkê heyranê de tu rabe
Xwe ke bi Xwedê ke roja shemîyê
Serê min bisho û xemla min li min ke
Bisk û temerîka min li ber enîka min de çêke
Hey lê lê............ hey delalê
Heval û hogirê me çune Mexrub û Shêxa
Tev alîka di gelîkî kur da
Keçik digot, lê lê dayik heyranê
Bishîne pey Lawikê Metînê delalê malê
Bira beyê nava sing û berê min keçikê
Herke tê min dixwaze bila gelo bê, min bixwaze
Herke tê min direvîne bila bê, min birevîne
Herke min narevîne sibê dê min birê kin
Hey lê lê............. hey delalê
Ax feleka me xayîn e welle me dixapîne
Min re nayê hey domê
Dengbêj: Kurdish musicians who have very special talents to sing
kilams which are special kinds of ballads mixture of a song and story
which is generally telling a historical story or event as well as the
life of a Kurdish hero or heroine, which were passed out from mouth
to mouth for hundreds of years.
Apê Karapet: Means Uncle Karapet. Kurds were calling Karapetê Xaço as
Apê Karapet which symbolizes love and respect.
Uxir be Apê Karapet,
Riya te vekiri be Xorte Kurmancan,
Mirê Dengbêjan...
To listen to voice of Karapet, see bottom of webpage
http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=6073
Jan 17 2005
Master of Kurdish dengbêjs Karapetê Xaço passes away
17/01/2005 KurdishMedia.com - By Brusk Chiwir Reshvan
Ottawa - Canada (KurdishMedia.com) 17 January 2004: Kurdish people
lost their influential living Dengbêj Karapetê Xaço on January 15,
2005 in his village Yerevan, Armenia.
Karapetê Xaço was born in Bileyder (Beshiri) in the city of Batman
in northern Kurdistan [now part of Turkey], in 1902. He lost his
entire family in the Armenian Genocide in 1915 but was luckily
rescued and raised by a Kurdish family.
In 1929, after the Sheikh Said uprising, together with many Kurds who
were massacred by the Turks, Xaço fled to the city of Qamishlo in
Syrian Kurdistan which was then controlled by the French and
afterwards joined the French army and served there for 15 years and 3
months. After long years of service in the French army he retired and
was offered to be flown to France; however, he refused this offer.
In 1946 Xaço and his family moved to Armenia and settled in
Vozkihader village of Yerevan and lived there until his death. After
the opening of the Kurdish Service of Yerevan Radio, Xaço began to
sing on the radio programs in 1955.
In an interview, Xaço retells his experiences: `In Soviet era it was
forbidden to sing about aghas, feudal lords and God. Whenever I was
singing a `kilam' they were interfering by saying this one is about
an agha, this is about a feudal and god is mentioned in this song!
And I always responded, well, what shall I sing about then?'
Karapetê Xaço worked for Yerevan radio for many years. During these
years his voice reached the hearts of each and every Kurd all over
Kurdistan. It is hard to imagine a single Kurd who hasn't been
captivated by his `kilams'.
Very well-known Kurdish ballads Eyshana Elî, Evdalê Zeynikê,
Diyarbekir Peytext e, Edulê, Çume Cizîrê, Filîtê Quto, Zembîlfirosh,
Dewreshê Evdî, Meyrê and many other kilams were first sung by him.
`Lawikê Metinî', a beautiful kilam about the love of an Ezidi Kurdish
man and a Moslem Kurdish girl, has been sung by many dengbêj and
singers but none of them as affective and soulful as Karapetê Xaço.
Each time one listens to this kilam, Ape Karapet's voice, together
with the heart-rending mey (traditional flute) of Egidê Cimo, takes
you far away to Kurdistan...
`I began singing when I was 8 years old in Kurdistan and I sang all
my kilams in Kurdish. You can not find even one kilam in other
languages including Armenian. I am Kurdish and I sing all my kilams
in Kurdish. I never sang for money, in dengbêj tradition it is a
shame to sing for money. I can sing for a whole month, day and night
without a break'.
Karapetê Xaço befriended the prominent Kurdish writer and poet
Cegerxwîn and famous dengbêj Mihemed Arifê Cizirî and Seyîdê Cizirî
when he was in Qamishlo. Xaço not only served the Kurdish dengbêj
tradition and oral literature by singing hundreds of kilams and
passing on them to new generations but also educated many dengbêjs in
Armenia among the Ezidi Kurds and inspired countless new dengbêjs and
singers to sing and serve the Kurdish music.
Karapetê Xaço was 103 years old when he passed away. He has 1 son
and 4 daughters as well as 15 grand children. He was buried on
Saturday with the participation of thousands of people including
Keremê Seyyad of Kurdish Service of Yerevan Radio, Emerîkê Serdar and
Karlenê Çaçan of Kurdish Newspaper Rîya Teze, Çerkezê Resh of
Kurdistan Committee of Armenia, Egîdê Cimo, Feyzoyê Rizo, prominent
Kurdish musicians and many others. In his funeral, his son Seyrosh
Karapet said `although my father was of Armenian origin, he felt
closer to the Kurds, and for this reason he served Kurdish music as a
dengbêj. He always felt deeply the grief and sorrow of the Kurdish
people who have long suffered at least as much as the Armenian people
and wanted to express this pain with Kurdish kilams'.
Çerkezê Resh of the Kurdistan Committee of Armenia, in his speech
said, `Karapetê Xaço has made priceless contributions to Kurdish
dengbêj tradition and music and he was buried in to the heart of
Kurdistan. When I was in Amed, for the Kurdish Language and
Literature Conference, everyone was asking about Karapetê Xaço's
situation with great interest and I myself forwarded those special
wishes from the hearth of Kurdistan, Amed to him. He was very happy
to hear that Kurds had never forgotten him. Karapetê Xaço was not
only a great dengbêj but also a bridge of brotherhood between the
Kurdish and Armenia peoples. We will never forget him'.
Ape Karapet has always had a very speacial place for me. Each time I
listen to his voice, I get lost in thoughts and begin to a trip from
Mount Ararat to Cizira Botan, from Lawikê Metînî to Dewreshê Evdî,
from to Filitê Quto to Eyshana Elî, from Xezal to Edule, from Evdalê
Zeynike to Zembilfrosh. When I first heard he passed away, I
immediately called Keremê Seyyad of Radio Yerevan, Kurdish Service
with the hope of hearing that the news was untrue. Unfortunately it
was true and Keremê Seyyad was very sad but he was trying to give me
consolation. Each time I was calling Yerevan, I was asking Apê
Karapet's situation and each time Keremê Seyyad was assuring me that
he was fine. What a pity that the last time I called him it was
different because Karapetê Xaço had decided to go and leave behind
the kilams as orphans...
Thank you very much for all your service to Kurdish music and oral
literature. Thank you very much for your friendship. Thank you very
much the master of Dengbêjs. May God Bless You, Apê Karapet.
Lawike Metini
Lê lê dayîkê heyranê de tu rabe
Xwe ke bi Xwedê ke roja shemîyê
Serê min bisho û xemla min li min ke
Bisk û temerîka min li ber enîka min de çêke
Hey lê lê............ hey delalê
Heval û hogirê me çune Mexrub û Shêxa
Tev alîka di gelîkî kur da
Keçik digot, lê lê dayik heyranê
Bishîne pey Lawikê Metînê delalê malê
Bira beyê nava sing û berê min keçikê
Herke tê min dixwaze bila gelo bê, min bixwaze
Herke tê min direvîne bila bê, min birevîne
Herke min narevîne sibê dê min birê kin
Hey lê lê............. hey delalê
Ax feleka me xayîn e welle me dixapîne
Min re nayê hey domê
Dengbêj: Kurdish musicians who have very special talents to sing
kilams which are special kinds of ballads mixture of a song and story
which is generally telling a historical story or event as well as the
life of a Kurdish hero or heroine, which were passed out from mouth
to mouth for hundreds of years.
Apê Karapet: Means Uncle Karapet. Kurds were calling Karapetê Xaço as
Apê Karapet which symbolizes love and respect.
Uxir be Apê Karapet,
Riya te vekiri be Xorte Kurmancan,
Mirê Dengbêjan...
To listen to voice of Karapet, see bottom of webpage
http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=6073