Dengbêj Huseyno (Anthology of Dengbêjs - 3)

When it comes to defining the art of Dengbêj and deciphering the Kilam, much remains unsaid. The task of re-reading and interpreting these narratives and uncovering their hidden layers now falls to writers and researchers. For many, the Kilam of the Dengbêj*în may primarily be music and song – but those who deal with language and literature cannot regard them as mere songs. Stories, images, metaphors, and memories are hidden within them.

Precisely for this reason, collecting, preserving, and re-reading oral Kurdish literature is one of the most important cultural tasks of the present day. In the Kilam, narratives live on that have been carried across generations.

Dengbêj Huseyno describes himself with the words:

“Reso’s style and melody, Şakiro’s harmony – and my voice.”

And indeed, Huseyno’s particular power lies in his haunting, high, and burning voice. It almost seems as if no vocal cords vibrate in his throat, but rather a fire burns, from which words emerge with pain and longing.

Huseyno formed his style from the traditional laments and lullabies of women. With his powerful voice and a narrative style strongly influenced by female forms of expression, he created his own style within the art of Dengbêj – a form of expression that is difficult to imitate.