Fatma İsa: The dengbêj of all time

The songs of dengbêjan (plural of dengbej) have been listened to for years. The songs of Fatma İsa are among them.

News Center- Fatma İsa was born in 1934 in Azerbaijan’s Erezegin village to a Kurdish family. Her family moved to the Hamzali village of Armenia when she was three years old. She lost her mother when she was six years old and her father at the age of eight. After losing her parents, her uncle looked after her and her sister.

She was married off when she was 14

Instead of being sent to school, Fatma İsa was married off at the age of 14. Her husband got married twice because Fatma didn’t have a baby. She had a fascinating voice since her childhood. But being a Kurd always has a price; Kurds always face forced displacement, pressure, and torture. Fatma İsa lived in many cities but she never forgot her root. She lost her parents, forced into child marriage but her voice and cultural heritage led her to become a dengbêj.

Her strong voice became the topic of conversations

In the 1940s, women weren’t allowed to sing songs because it was a sin. For this reason, Fatma İsa sang her songs for women at weddings, during the meetings of women’s assemblies, or on the plateaus. She sang her songs for women gathered around a table in the houses. At those times, women gathered in a house and talked about many issues while having tea. The strong voice of Fatma İsa shortly became the main topic of those talks.

Her journey with Radio Yerevan

In 1977, people working for the Radio Yerevan got in contact with Fatma İsa and asked her to play her songs on the radio. The songs of Fatma İsa were recorded on the radio. Like the songs of Sûsika Simo and Zadina Şekir, Kurdish people living in many countries listened to Fatma İsa’s songs on the Radio Yerevan.

Her songs enshrined in the hearts of the Kurdish people

After a while Fatma İsa was invited to the Radio Yerevan and she sang many songs such as “De Miho”, “Dîna Min”, “Şerê Reya Beşer”, “Gedê Mirzo” and “Derwêşê Evdî during the live radio streaming. Her songs were recorded by the radio. Her song “De Miho” enshrined in the hearts of the Kurdish people. This song tells the story of the love of Telli, daughter of a Kurdish tribe leader, for Miho, a poor boy. Fatma İsa drew attention to the inequality of society in this song. This song is still listened by Kurds.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Fatma İsa was forcibly displaced from Armenia to the Krasnodar region of Moscow along with 50.000 Kurdish and Armenian families. She died on December 15, 2010, in Armenia. But she left behind an unforgettable voice and heritage.

Tomorrow: Zadîna Şakir: The base of Kurdish culture