Thirty-five years since the passing of Kurdistan artist Muhammad Sheikho
ARK News.... Today, Saturday, March 9, 2024, marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the passing of the Kurdish artist, “Muhammad Sheikho,” who was known for his sweet voice, his playing, his melodies, and his nationalistic and patriotic stances towards the cause of his people, and he became famous in the four parts of Kurdistan.
A summary of the life of the Almighty Muhammad Sheikho
The Kurdish artist Muhammad Sheikho was born in 1948 in the village of Girbawi, one of the villages of Syrian Kurdistan. He was nicknamed several times, “The Voice of Kurdistan and the Sad Bulbul.”
He served the Kurdish song with all dedication and sincerity and made clear and obvious contributions to the national song.
At the age of twenty, his first singing experience was at weddings and events held in Hasakah. In 1970, he returned to his village, but he did not stay there long, as he went to Beirut to study music.
He became a member of the Kurdish folklore band (Sarkaftin), alongside the late artist Saeed Youssef and Mahmoud Aziz Shaker, and performed many concerts in Beirut.
In 1973, he left Lebanon and headed to the Kurdistan Region and settled in the city of Kirkuk and then in Baghdad.
During his stay in the Kurdistan Region, the artist Muhammad Sheikho visited Mulla Mustafa Barzani the immortal, he greatly appreciated him for his clear services to Kurdish song and music and rewarded him for that.
Muhammad Sheikho remained in the ranks of the Peshmerga until 1975, then he went with thousands of his people to migrate to Iran.
He was subjected to harassment by Iranian intelligence as a result of his positions on the Kurdish issue and his recording of a number of songs. He was forced to return to Syrian Kurdistan in 1981 and settled in the city of Qamishlo and continued his artistic career in addition to helping Kurdish artists. He was able to form an artistic group for children to teach them national anthems and folk songs.
On March 9, 1989, the Kurdish artist Muhammad Sheikho passed away due to a sudden illness, a day after he was arrested and tortured by Syrian intelligence. They pulled out his nails, cut off one of his fingers, and poisoned him several times because of his nationalist songs, which sometimes targeted the Syrian regime.
He was buried in the Al-Hilaliya neighborhood cemetery in Qamishlo, amidst huge crowds and with a solemn ceremony befitting his status.
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