Mem Ararat Explained
Mem Ararat (born September 17, 1981; Derik)[1] is a Kurdish singer, songwriter, and composer from Turkey.[2] [3] [4]
Life
Ararat was born in Girkê Şêxê village in Derik district of Mardin Province. At seven, due to poor economic conditions in his village, his family moved west. In 1991 they returned to Mardin due to political reasons, before moving back again to western Turkey in 1994, again for political reasons.[5]
Due to these migrations, Arat could only attend primary school. Though always been interested in music from childhood onwards, opportunities were scarce to develop his talent properly. When he eventually returned home in 2007, he settled down in Kiziltepe, Mardin where he engaged in farming, construction, trading, and trading jobs.
Career
Ararat started his music career in 2014.[6]
Concert ban
In 2020, his concerts in the Turkish provinces of Mersin, Diyarbakir and Bursa were canceled by the Turkish government.[7] [8] Ararat made his statement clear on social media by noting that his live performance ban stems from singing in Kurdish and he also mentioned that he will not stop: “This will not stop us from singing our songs in all [Kurdish] dialects!"[9]
Discography
Album
- Quling Ewr û Baran (2014)
- Kurdîka (2016)
- Xewna Bajarekî (Drean of a city, 2018)
- Niştiman (Home, 2019)
- Pesna Evînê (2020)
Single
Video Clips
- Payîz (Fall, 2016)
- Zozan (2018)
- Xatirxwestin (2019)
- Çîçekê (Flower, 2019)
- Ji Evareke Amedê (In love in Diyarbakir, 2019)
- Evîna Du Çîya (Love of two mountains, 2019)
- Dilo Ez Bimrim (2018)
References
- Web site: Mem Ararat kimdir, ve nerelidir?. Mem. Ararat. Hozan Akpolat. tr.
- https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/28488-Concert-of-Kurdish-artist-Mem-Ararat-canceled-in-Turkey%27s-Bursa Concert of Kurdish artist Mem Ararat canceled in Turkey's Bursa
- Web site: Mem Ararat straneke nû belav kir . 2023-07-15 . www.rudaw.net . ku.
- Web site: 2022-05-26 . AKP municipalities tone down the volume on Kurd-Pop in Turkey - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East . 2023-07-15 . www.al-monitor.com . en.
- Web site: Admin . 2023-05-08 . Mem Ararat . 2023-07-15 . New York Kurdish Cultural Center . en-US.
- https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/17072-Turkey-bans-concert-in-Diyarbakir-by-Kurdish-singer-Mem-Ararat Turkey bans concert in Diyarbakir by Kurdish singer Mem Ararat
- Web site: Osterlund . Paul Benjamin . Turkey's 'culture war': Anger grows as string of events cancelled . 2023-07-15 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
- Web site: Urfa Bar Association to file complaint to counter ban against concert by Kurdish artist Mem Ararat . 2023-07-15 . ANF News . en.
- Web site: SCF . 2021-11-16 . Kurdish singer says concert cancelled by municipality for including Kurdish songs . 2023-07-15 . Stockholm Center for Freedom . en-US.