It is perhaps no surprise that Narin Feqe, who has family ties to Cizre in eastern Turkey but was born in Derik, Western Kurdistan (northern Syria), has become a celebrated Kurdish singer. After all, Feqe comes from a family deeply rooted in music, with her grandfather Ehmed and father Judi both possessing powerful and melodious voices and becoming renowned for their renditions of Kurdish folk songs.

Feqe’s deep love for Kurdish folk music stems from her upbringing in her family home, where music was an inseparable part of life. The melodies and artistry resonated through every room and echoed off the walls, creating an atmosphere where music was always present.

Cizre: a musical place

Feqe’s life follows a similar path as that of many Kurds who were forced abroad during the harrowing events of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Despite moving from Western Kurdistan (northern Syria) to Stockholm, Sweden in 1990, she carries on a family tradition of preserving and passing down the folk songs of Cizre, where her grandparents were from. As part of a campaign carried out by Turkey that targeted Kurds and Christians in 1940 amid World War II, they were pushed to migrate to Western Kurdistan, where Feqe was born. Her family was later able to return to Cizre.

Feqe’s father Judi was profoundly influenced by a woman named Miriama Gewre, who had an exceptional voice and sang an extensive repertoire of ancient Kurdish folk songs. Gewre had fled Northern Kurdistan (southeastern Turkey), and Feqe’s grandparents had taken her in, offering her a home for many years. Her presence left a significant impact on Judi, inspiring him to begin singing old Kurdish folk songs at the age of 11 with Gewre’s encouragement and support.

Cizre has long had a profound influence on Kurdish folk music, culture, and literature. Feqe’s grandfather, Ehmed Feqe, and Miriama Gewre introduced renowned folk songs to Derik, leaving behind a musical legacy that endures. While her grandfather has passed away, the tradition lives on through Feqe’s father, who continues to perform both traditional and contemporary Kurdish folk music.

In fact, Judi often reminisces about the memorable evenings in Derik, where celebrated singers such as Mihemed Arif Ciziri, Hesen Ciziri, Mihemed Sexo, and Seid Yusif gathered with him and his father, filling the air with their enchanting music.

Key moments

From a young age, Feqe has held a deep love and passion for her Kurdish identity and the Kurdish language, but she shares two vivid memories that shaped her music career and identity – stories she recounted publicly for the first time for Kurdistan Chronicle.

One of her earliest memories is being struck on the hands with a ruler by Syrian teachers after she had whispered in Kurdish at her school desk. She still recalls the pain of those punishments, but they also became a source of resilience, shaping her into the strong individual she is today. Moreover, she continued to speak Kurdish with her friends during recess and after school. At home in Derik, her family made it a point to ensure that Kurdish was the only language spoken, reinforcing the importance of their mother tongue.

Another powerful memory Feqe holds close is from Newroz (Kurdish New Year) in 1986 in Ain Diwar, when her grandmother whispered in her ear, “Narin, we are Kurds, and we are proud of our identity. Don’t forget it.”

These two pivotal moments – the harsh lessons at school and her grandmother’s heartfelt words on Newroz – have deeply shaped Feqe’s spirit, inspiring and guiding her throughout her musical journey.

Music as resistance

At the age of seven, Feqe began to develop her love for music and singing – her father had already discovered her talent for music as a child. Coming from a musically talented family, she managed to capture the hearts of the Kurdish people with her beautiful voice. Since the start of her career in the early 2000s, her father has been her unwavering pillar of support. Feqe sang her first song, Dilbere, alongside her father.

Following the song’s breakthrough success, Feqe continued studying music and piano. She won a Kurdish song competition in 2003 in Stockholm, securing first place among Kurdish youth. The jury, which included the renowned Kurdish artist Sivan Perwer, Dilshad Mihemed Said, and the artist Leila Fariqi, selected her as the winner.

After this success and receiving tremendous support from her community, her career took off. From the outset, Feqe decided that her music would center on supporting the Kurdish people through powerful lyrics and captivating melodies. Thus, music has become a form of resistance – a means to highlight the oppression of the Kurds, to advocate for the right to speak the Kurdish language, and to champion women’s rights. Her music has always been a vehicle for conveying powerful messages, particularly when addressing significant social and political issues.

Adjacent to her musical career, Feqe also studied law, earning her master’s degree in International Public Law in 2008 in Stockholm. The messages in her songs are thus deeply influenced by her academic background, as well as by the injustice and the struggles faced by the Kurdish people. In Feqe’s view, music should evoke emotions, resonate deeply, and guide its listeners. Throughout her life, during her education, and in her current role as a case officer at the Swedish Migration Agency, she has witnessed moments of both profound sorrow and joy.

A distinctive style

Feqe highlights traditional Kurdish music, blending it with modern sensibilities through powerful lyrics and messages addressing oppression, freedom for Kurds, the right to speak the Kurdish language, women’s rights, and love. For her, music has always been a medium for spreading important messages. Her best-known songs include “Hevi” (“Hope”), “Zimane Daye” (“Mother’s Language”), and “Jin Jiyan e” (“Woman is Life”), as well as many others about Kurdistan.

Her approach to art has always been to forge her own path, developing a distinctive style that sets her apart. With modern musical technology and the creation of music videos, she has managed to accomplish what the legendary Kurdish artists Meryem Xan, Ayse San, and Gulbahar could not, particularly to deliver a clear message about women’s rights to a Kurdish audience. This is especially evident in “Hevi,” released in 2009 with lyrics and melody by Memo Seyda, and “Jin Jiyan e,” written by Edib Chalki and released in 2020.

Feqe has produced numerous songs throughout her career, and owns the rights to nearly 40 of her self-produced works. Many of these songs are accompanied by meaningful music videos.

Connecting with her homeland

One of the biggest challenges of pursuing a music career in Europe is being far from one’s homeland and community, which engenders a sense of grief. Additionally, before embarking on major music projects, financial challenges have proven to be a significant hurdle.

Two significant milestones in Feqe’s career include her performance in Shingal, a symphony composed by the renowned Kurdish composer Dalshad Mihemed Said. This remarkable piece was performed in 2015 with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and featured Kurdish artists from across all parts of Kurdistan. The text for Shingal was written by the songwriter and author Edib Chalki. The second milestone was Welat, written by Selahattin Demirtas and arranged by the World Orchestra led by Grzech Piotrowski in Poland in 2024. Feqe was invited to represent Western Kurdistan alongside artists from across Kurdistan.

With over 20 years of active involvement in music, Feqe’s goal has always been to offer her audience the very best – to advance music with heartfelt lyrics, captivating melodies, and meaningful music videos. Her love for Kurdish identity, her dedication to preserving and promoting the Kurdish language, and the unwavering support of her people and listeners continue to inspire her to create music that resonates deeply with her audience.