Hassan Zirak

Template:Short description Template:Template other Template:Music of Kurdistan Hassan Zirek (Template:Langx; 29 November 1921 – 26 June 1972) was a Kurdish singer-songwriter, known for his recordings of classical Kurdish folk songs. He was famous for his classical and sensual lyrics, and it is believed that he composed over thousand songs in his lifetime.

Early life and family

Hassan Abdullah Rahman, known professionally as Hassan Zirak, was born into a Kurdish family.Template:Sfn He had two brothers, Hussein and Kaka Mina, and one sister named Sarah. Following the early death of his father, Zirak's mother, Amina, remarried, and as a result of the family's changing circumstances, he began working at a young age, around 8–9.Template:Sfn He didn't attend formal schooling and remained illiterate throughout his life.Template:Sfn He later married Mediya Zandi, with whom he had two daughters, Arezu and Sakar.Template:Sfn

The Shriek of Kurdistan

The Shriek of Kurdistan (Template:Langx) is a Kurdish-language biography book written by Hassan Zirak,Template:Sfn with assistance from his wife Mediya Zandi.Template:Sfn It was published in 1966 by Çaprengîn publisher, in Tehran, Iran. Shortly after its publication, Zirak was banned from performing on Iranian state radio, as publishing books in Kurdish was prohibited under the government of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In the second edition of the book, Faraidoon Moradi provided the musical notation for 16 of Hassan Zirak's songs.

The book is considered one of the first Kurdish publications of its kind in Pahlavi Iran.Template:Sfn After the publication of the book, a warrant was issued for Hassan Zirak's arrest by SAVAK on charges of 'spying against the state'.Template:Sfn Following this, Hassan Zirak fled to Iraqi Kurdistan and joined the Kurdish revolution.Template:Sfn

Influence

File:شەو - حەسەن زیرەک.ogg

A part of Hassan Zirak's song "Shaw" (Template:Lit), adapted from a poem given to him by Kurdish poet Sayed Kamil Imami.

Despite his death in 1972, Zirak's music continues to be widely appreciated, and his legacy is recognized in various ways, including the annual commemorations in Silêmanî. Zirak’s recordings are considered by some to be culturally significant in the preservation of Kurdish musical traditions.