Hasan zirak - The Legend (2024) [Hi-Res]

Archive Khanah unearths a suite of reel-to-reel tracks from beloved Kurdish singer Hasan Zirak's golden era. One for anyone who fell in love with Mohammad Syfkhan's brilliant 'I Am Kurdish', for sure.

Hailing from Harmileh, a small village near Bukan in northwestern Iran, Zirak spent much of his life in exile. He'd moved to Iraq as a teen to find work, and ended up recording a slew of songs for the Kurdish section of Baghdad's broadcasting station, reworking folk classics in his own distinctive style. But after the revolution in 1958, he was ejected from the country and moved back to Iran, where he snagged a job at the Tehran Radio Station. Two years later, he was forced to relocate again, this time moving to northern Iraq, before he was kicked out of the country yet again in 1967. He spent the rest of his life in Saqqez in Iran, but despite his tribulations, he managed to write a gobsmacking amount of music - around 1500 songs.

'The Legend' sweeps up home recordings from Zirak's golden era, recorded in the house of Mahmood Tofiq Shelek by Ahmad Faraj, with Hazem Hadad on oud, Anwar Qaradakhy on violin, Shawkat Rashid on daf and znjar, Salah Rashid on shimshal (a Persian flute), Azola on tapil (a pottery drum) and Mam Hasan on balaban (a double reeded wind instrument). It's revelatory material that shines a light on Kurdish folk culture - although Zirak was interpreting old songs that had been passed down orally, his arrangements influenced a wave of artists. He's one of the most popular singers amongst the Kurdish people of northern and eastern Kurdistan, and it's easy to hear why. Even without understanding the language - he sings mostly in Sorani Kurdish - Zirak's charisma is infectious, and his spirited improvisations have to be heard to be believed.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Hasan zirak - Kizholai Kurdistani (7:53)
1.02 - Hasan zirak - Amine Giyan (6:12)
1.03 - Hasan zirak - OkhayOkhay (6:26)
1.04 - Hasan zirak - Zamawand (9:10)
1.05 - Hasan zirak - Kermashan (11:20)