Erbil: The host city of sports t ournaments - Kurdish Globe

The Kurdish Globe No. 276, Saturday, October 09, 2010 14
Chopy and an
album in English
Singer Chopy Fattah anne
nounced that she is close
to publishing an album in
English. The album conse
sists of seven songs, one
of which she has videoed
in Beirut. A number of
British and Dutch compane
nies have invited Chopy
to perform concerts in
their countries, but she
hasn’t replied yet, saying
she is too busy at the prese
ent time with deadlines.
The Kurdish female
singer said happily: “I had
a year very good. I was
able to finish college and
receive a degree in psyce
chology. I want to conte
tinue studying next year,
and I have dedicated this
year to take some rest and
work on my art; I had dele
layed some of my art bece
cause of my studies.” Bese
sides the English album,
Chopy is also working on
another album of Kurdish
songs. This album, which
is going to involve 14
tracks, includes a number
of Kurdish maqams.
Singer and
Peshmarga
Hamajaza
passed away
Paywand Jaff prefers
working behind the camera
Singer Paywand Jaff anne
nounced he would like to
find a job at a Kurdish TV
station--not as a presenter,
but behind the camera.
Paywand revealed that the
time has come for him to
think about returning to
Kurdistan after spending
17 years in Europe. But
first he has to find a job.
But he has one condition:
“I cannot do any job that
has no relation to my art.
I don’t know any other
job than art, and I have
spent all my life on it.” He
would like to work at one
of the Kurdistan TV state
tions where he can keep
his ties with art. He rejecte
ed the idea of working as
a presenter, as “it is hard.”
Instead, he said: “I want
to be behind the cameras
to create programs with
new ideas.” Paywand anne
nounced that he is putting
the final touches on a new
album.
“Scenarists are afraid of writing”
Necessity has pushed Naje
jim Hogir to become an
artist with multiple professe
sions. Hogir has worked
as an actor of theater and
drama, a scenarist, a directe
tor, and also a poet.
“If you notice, you easie
ily see gaps in the fields
of art. I have tried to fill
some of the gaps,” stated
Hogir, who has nearly 40
years of acting experience.
“I always believed that we
shouldn’t remain on the
stage, acting in theaters,
but also needed to have
TV and cinema works. But
there we had a shortage of
scenarist and directors.”
Concerning scripts, Hoge
gir admits there are compe
petent story writers among
Kurds. But the problem,
he said, is that they do not
dare to write scenes for theae
ater or film. He explained
that stories and novels sell
better and are more profie
itable for writers when
printed in books. “I don’t
say I am a good scenarist
or a good director. This is
something people have the
right to decide. But what I
have done is try to fill in
the gaps,” said Hogir.
As a poet, Hogir works
Hamajaza Ali, a super popue
ular Kurdish singer, passed
away on October 1 after a
long battle with cancer.
His national and revolute
tionary songs, which still
are remembered, played a
great role in the Peshmarge
ga struggle in the 1970s
and 1980s. “Ho Kaki
Peshmarga…shorishgery
qaraman…nawy pirozi
toya bota wirdi sar zime
man,” a refrain of his most
popular song, was chanted
at the funeral in his homete
town of Suleimaniya. The
refrain translates to “Oh
brother Peshmarga…you,
the Brave Revolutionie
ist…your name is always
remembered.”
Hama Jaza had nearly
200 diverse songs, includie
ing national and love songs
as well as Maqams, and
he wrote most of his own
lyrics. His albums were
for a different purpose. Alte
though he has written poe
ems since the early 1970s,
none have been printed or
published in newspapers.
His poetry skills appeared
when his lyrics were used
for songs. He said 30 to
35 singers have made 120
songs out of his lyrics,
including artists such as
Braym Khayat, Tara Rase
sul, Bahjat Yahya, Adnan
always forbidden by Iraqi
authorities at that time;
however, they quickly
spread around Kurdistan.
The funeral was attended
by a large number of fans,
artists, and officials, and
his death dominated all
local newspapers and TV
channels. In Erbil on Octobe
ber 3, the KRG Ministry of
Culture held a special cere
emony to express respect
for Hama Jaza. The Minie
istry’s award of respect,
this year under the name
“Ho Kaki Peshmarga,”
was awarded to a number
of veteran Kurdish artists.
Hama Jaza born in 1949
and joined the Peshmarga
at age 18. He continued in
a double job as both Peshme
marga and singer, and left
behind four girls and two
boys.
Karim, Niyan Abdullah,
and Wushiyar Hamasalih.
But practicing his multe
tiple skills simultaneously
brought Najim Hogir more
difficulties than benefits,
he noted.
His recent work includes
a scene for a short film
named “Komak” (or Help),
which tells about the Halae
abja tragedy, and another
short film named “Apora”
(or Crowd), which tells
about a statue a crowd is
gathering around. In one
scene, when removing the
curtain, the statue says:
“With money you have
spent on this ceremony tode
day, you could have served
me while I was alive so as
I could have lived a few
years longer and served
you.”
Contributions to “The Kurdish Globe” entertainment page come from the weekly art section of “Hawler Newspaper.”