CHAMSHKO CAMP, Kurdistan Region — This all-Yazidi band is a family affair.
Khal w Khwarza (Uncle and Cousins) are originally from Shingal, but were displaced from their homes in 2014.
“At first, we were a three-person band, made up of my uncle [Khairi Murad] with his saz [baglama] and my brother with his guitar. The three of us created the group,” shimshal player Hamada Ismael said.
Now a five-member band, they perform music for free for fellow IDPs at the Chamshko camp in Zakho, Duhok province.
“The idea stemmed from that, we managed to create the group because we are all relatives. The name of the group is Khal u Khwarza. In the beginning, we just played music among ourselves. But when we saw that everyone here was sad, we decided to perform for them,” saz (baglama) player Khairi Murad said.
The audience finds comfort in the band’s performance.
“We live in misery. There is coronavirus. Life is difficult in the tents. This group of musicians performs for us so the atmosphere changes a little and we become happy,” Chamshko resident Haifa Qasim said.
Chamshko camp houses 25,000 IDPs, according to manager of the camp Maamun Yahya – most of whom are Yazidis.
Hundreds of thousands of Yazidis were displaced in 2014 when the Islamic State (ISIS) took over the town of Shingal and its surroundings.
Many of them took shelter in IDP camps of Duhok province, while others sought refuge in Europe.
Translation by Zhelwan Zeyad Wali
Video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed
