Kurdish musical legend awarded for preserving traditional songs

16-02-2018

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A legendary performer of traditional Hawrami songs, Osman Hawrami, has received an award in tribute to his efforts to preserve music native to the Kurdish mountains in the Hawraman region.

The 82-year-old traditional singer, also named as Osman Kemanayi, is known for preserving the popularity of siyaw chemane, a form of Hawrami folk music that some believe has its roots in the time of Zoroastrianism.

The mountainous Hawraman region is located along the border of the Kurdistan Region and Iranian Kurdistan where people speak the Hawrami dialect of Kurdish.

Hawrami began his career recording traditional songs for radio stations based in Kermanshah, Iran and elsewhere in the 1960s. He also sang at public gatherings both at home and across the border in Kurdish cities like Halabja where many Hawrami people live. Over his career, Hawrami has recorded hundreds of songs.

He sang both a melancholic form of Hawrami songs called siyaw chemane and also what is known as bazmi chapla or clapping rhythm where one or two people sing while clapping their hands.

Listen: Osman Hawrami sings clapping rhythm with another Hawrami singer. Date of recording is unknown.

Both forms are traditionally sung without instrumental accompaniment, but in recent years, some of Hawrami's songs have been remixed with music to appeal to the new generation.

There is more than one opinion about the source of the name siyaw chemane, with some saying it refers to the back turban worn by men and others believe comes from the words for ‘black’ and ‘eyes.’ Black eyes are a trait signifying beauty in Kurdish culture.

Hawrami had to stop singing in the early 1980s because of problems with his vocal cords, but he continued to appear in video clips and events promoting his music.

Hawrami songs are popular among speakers of other Kurdish dialects. At a recent music talent show, Kurd Idol, that drew young talent from across greater Kurdistan, Ferzad Mehdinya, a Hawrami competitor, won second place.

Osman Hawrami attended one of the episodes to show support for the young singer.

Video: Ferzad Mehdinya sings during the Kurd Idol music talent show.

Hundreds of people attended the award ceremony on Wednesday, including the governor of Sanandaj. The Kurdish province hopes to receive recognition for music from the UN’s culture agency UNESCO, organizers said.

Sanandaj, also called Sina by Kurds, is home to many famous Kurdish singers and bands such as Abbas Kamandi and Kamkars – a group of Kurdish siblings famous in Iran and abroad for their unique music.