Kurdish Folk Music from Western Iran

The Kurds are an ethnic people primarily living in a contiguous area of the Middle East composed of southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, and northeastern Syria. Recorded by ethnomusicologist Dieter Christensen and his wife, this album focuses on the folk songs of Kurds living in western Iran in the early 1960s. Kurdish music is broadly divided into three types, reflecting differences in location, social strata, and the degree of professionalism. As explained in more detail in Christensen’s liner notes, urban popular music is played by professional musicians; rural music by peasants and dervishes with semi-professional status. The broadest category, which does not require that performers have special training, consists of music associated with the daily lives of the people and includes lullabies, children’s play songs, work songs, ceremonial songs, and holiday songs. Examples of all three types of music are included in this recording.

RELATED LESSON PLAN
"A Day in the Life of a Kurdish Kid"

Track Listing

101	Pişmeradî mahôr - Introduction to the mahôr mode	Asker Tarzan and Mohemmed Hatemî	03:43
102	Goranî: Behare - Love Song	Asker Tarzan, Mohemmed Hatemî, and Mohemmed Mamely	08:03
103	Beyt: Xanê Keyqa and Paşbend (Goranî)	Hadji Hemedereş	05:00
104	Şor Mehmûd û Xatû Merzêngan - Pirdewan (The Bridge Watchman)	Şîr Ali	03:05
105	Lawk: Genç xelîl - Love Song	Hadji Hemedereş	02:04
201	Qazelệ Nalî	Derwiş Hemebor	04:24
202	Heyran -Love Song	Hadji Hemedereş	02:21
203	Qetar - Love Song	Sayid	02:45
204	Paşbend	Sayid	00:37
205	Dupeyî	Kerim Bayiz	03:21
206	Royne: Çî bû çit lê kirdim	Sayid and Hasan	03:02
207	Serdare: Mang le 'asman goşey kyeşa	Aşref Bikasî	00:59
208	Kelhorî	Mohammed Emin Brja	00:40
209	Laîlaî	Batul Ziyayî	00:58
210	Gawas: Manga lawaneh	Ziwar Khanum Ziyayî	00:47
211	Laylî çuye humam	Hasan	02:52