“Zadina Shakr”’s family moved to Yerevan before her birth. She was born in this city. Zadin was her father’s favorite kid. She started singing at a young age. Zadin made friend with “Sossika Simo” and since Simo was older than her, Zadin looked at her as a role model.

Zadin married an Armenian man like Simo did. Zadin and Sossika Simo were both Yezidi. According to Yazidi religion and traditions, they were not allowed to marry a man from another religion. Due to her marriage, Zadin’s father turned against her and he didn’t bless this marriage. Zadin didn’t listen to her father and married the Armenian man anyway. Although their community somehow managed to forgive Sossika Simo, they did not forgive Zadina Shakr. Zadin had to leave her family and community for the rest of her life. Her father died shortly after she left them but she could not attend his funeral.

Zadin is one the first Kurdish women whose songs were played on radio stations. Some of her most popular songs are “Le Gidi”, “Hey Le Le Dineh”, “Chil Hayraneh”, and “Yar Wara Kachikeh”. She also had some duets with Majid Suleimani. Zadin used the epic story of “Karr u Kulik” which is about a man named “Darwish Avdi” for the “Dalal way Dalal” song. She also sang a song named “Dera Soury Bichouki” for the documentary film “Kurds in Armenia” which was produced based on a scenario by “Arab Shamo”.

Zadina Shakr died in 2008 due to a heart attack in Yerevan. When she had a heart stroke and was about to collapse she screamed “Way Bawooooo” (Dad) and she died suffering from feeling sad for not amending her damaged relationship with her father. Her body was buried in Yerevan unknown to many.

Source:

Boik, Eskereh: Cultures of Kurds in the Soviet Union, Istanbul 2019.