Kurdish Iranian singer sends condolences to victims of Iran protests, Ukrainian Airline disaster
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Famous Iranian Kurdish singer Jamshid has sent his condolences to victims of recent incidents in Iran, including anti-government protests, Kolbar deaths and the shooting down of a civilian airliner last week.
Jamshid, a Kurdish singer from Sanandaj, a Kurdish province in western Iran spoke to Rudaw on Wednesday on the recent incidents in his home country, adding that long-term poverty has been “uncomfortable” to see.
“Seeing Iranian people still suffering and [without] freedom makes us very uncomfortable,” Jamshid said. “People in Iran have been suffering from poverty and economic crisis since 40 years, I ask why, why we have to suffer that much?” he said.
Jamshid left Iran in 2000 to pursue his dream career in the arts and music.
All but one of his nine siblings remain in Iran.
Jamshid sent condolences to the families of the victims of the ongoing protests in Iran and the passengers on the Ukrainian passenger airplane shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) last week , killing everyone on board.
“This year, very heartbreaking incidents have been coming out from Iran and Rojhelat (Iranian Kurdistan). We are very sad and I send my condolences,” Jamshid said, referring to the victims of the Ukrainian Airline disaster and the protesters who lost their lives “for freedom.”
“I only issue statements of condolences and condemnation, and I have never given any statement against the politics in Iran because I speak as a human, not a politician,” he said when asked if his statements endanger his family back home.
Before settling in the US, the singer pursued Islamic Sunati music in Tehran- the only form of music that is not prohibited by the government.
Jamshid also sent his condolences to Kolbars who have died while smuggling goods to and from the Kurdistan Region.
Semi-legal Kurdish porters, several Kolbars have died recently in treacherous winter conditions on the Iran-Iraq border.
The singer has released many albums since he left Iran, and ensures that each contains at least one Kurdish song.
“The reason behind making Kurdish songs was to show that I’m a Kurd, and my Kurdish language stays strong,” he said.
Jamshid has held several concerts around the world, making his Erbil debut in 2007.
His latest concert was in Dolby Theater, Los Angeles on November 27, 2019. Attended by more than 3,300 people, Jamshid opened his concert with one of his Kurdish tracks.