ARAM TIGRAN: FAMOUS ARMENIAN-KURDISH SINGER TO BE BURIED IN DIYARBEKIR

2009 /08/11 | 12:14

Diaspora

Aram Tigran, an Armenian born in Syria and considered among the
best of contemporary Kurdish singers, passed away in Athens, Greece,
on August 6.

Born in 1934 in Al-Qamishli to Genocide survivors, by the age of
20 Aram was playing the oud and singing in Armenian, Kurdish and
Arabic. In 1966 he moved to Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, and worked
for Yerivan Radio for 18 years. In 1996 he moved to Athens.

His death has affected many, and not least those recognizing the
important contribution he made as a cultural bridge between Armenians
and Kurds. Aram Tigran was unknown to most Armenians but loved by
many Kurds for his songs sung in the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish.

According to bianet news, Fýrat Anlý, Diyarbakýr province chair of the
Democratic Society Party (DTP) and member of the funeral organisation
committee, the funeral mass would take place eitherAugust 10 or 11
in the Armenian church in Diyarbakýr.

Tigran will then be buried in the Armenian graveyard.

Anlý said that Tigran had previously expressed a wish to be buried
in his place of birth, in Al-Qamishli, Syria.

However, after participating in a culture and arts festival in
Diyarbakýr last year and spending around two months in the city on
this visit, he told his family and people in the city that he wanted
to be buried there.

This year, he took part in Diyarbakýr’s 9th Culture and Arts Festival,
but because of ill health he only performed three Kurdish songs.

During Newroz celebrations in Batman last year, Tigran sang songs in
Kurdish, Turkish, Armenian and Arabic. He also sang the "Sarý Gelin"
song in memory of assassinated journalist and human rights activist
Hrant Dink.