The well-known Kurdish soprano Pervin Chakar will perform several concerts in Europe starting in March in memory of the Kurdish Princess Leyla Bedir Khan, whose grave was discovered recently in Paris.
“Leyla Bedir Khan’s grave was recently discovered and triggered significant interest on social media,” Chakar told Kurdistan Chronicle. As a result, the soprano decided to organize a tour in memory of Bedir Khan, starting with a performance in Paris on March 17.
Chakar is originally from the city of Mardin in Turkey and trained as a singer in Turkey and Italy. She currently lives in Germany.
She gained more fame in Turkey after the country’s Republican People’s Party leader Ozgur Ozel came under fire from rival parties for kissing her hand after a concert in Istanbul that took place on November 19, 2023.
At the end of April, she will also perform at the request of her Kurdish fans in several concerts across Turkey, including in Diyarbakir, Batman, Istanbul, Mersin, Siirt, and Urfa.
?17 March | Salle Cortot, Paris, France https://t.co/5DQoWRh1Zo
— Pervin Chakar (@PervinChakar) February 9, 2024
?8 April | Konserthuset, Grünewaldsaalen, Stockholm, Sweden https://t.co/W0dfJ5e3uj
?20 April | Ehrbar Saal, Wien, Austria https://t.co/4fJfS4oXRz
?26 May | Temppeliaukion kirkko, Helsinki, Finland… pic.twitter.com/ih3ztSqbbI
“I’m coming from a very rich cultural heritage in Mesopotamia that enriched my musical repertoire. I’m now paying tribute to my personal and cultural roots that not only give me strength, but also establish strong bonds with my audience,” Chakar added.
“My music and my repertoire are also an area where my fellow Kurds can find a piece of their heart and soul, and maybe some memories from their childhood and youth,” she added.
Leyla Bedir Khan was born in Istanbul in 1903, the daughter of Ottoman Kurdish diplomat and nobleman Abdürrezzak Bedir Khan and Henriette Ornik, a Romanian Jewish dentist.
Read More: Leila, the Kurdish Princess Who Once Captivated Western Theater
Her father was a descendant of Bedir Khan Beg, a legendary Kurdish leader and ruler of the Emirate of Botan in modern-day southeastern Turkey.
When Bedir Khan was 14, she moved from Egypt to Vienna and eventually Paris. She became a famous dancer and toured around Europe, free of family and religious constraints, drawing inspiration from her glamorous past and refashioning her cultural heritage. Bedirkhan passed away in 1986 in Paris.
The Paris concert will be held at the prestigious concert hall Salle Cortot. Chakar will not only pay tribute to Bedir Khan, but she will also sing arias from Charles Gounod, Mozart, Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccini, as well as Kurdish songs.
The Kurdish Institute of Paris will host the concert. “Everyone residing in Paris is invited to witness this historic event,” Chakar said.
Apart from her concert in Paris, Chakar will continue her tour with a performance at Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden on April 8, followed by a concert at Palais Ehrbar in Vienna, Austria on April 20.
Additionally, on May 26, in the unique setting of Helsinki’s Temppeliaukio Church, Chakar will take the stage with Finnish soprano Sanna Matinniemi for a concert entitled “Rauhaa sydämestä sydämeen,” meaning “peace from heart to heart.”
Western journalists dubbed her "Leila of a Thousand and One Nights," "The Princess Carrying the Perfumes of Eastern Nights," but most commonly "The Kurdish Princess and the Princess of Dancing.”
— Kurdistan Chronicle (@KurdChronicle) December 16, 2023
Read the story of Leila Bederkhan: https://t.co/rL5uoGEcM1 pic.twitter.com/xBdlvex50h
The concert will feature Kurdish and Finnish songs, opera arias, and religious compositions.
“As a musician who now lives in Germany but tries to reach out to a diverse audience across Europe, I would like to offer an unforgettable memory where everyone can enjoy a unique musical experience, especially at a time when we all need peace and tolerance despite the violent conflicts that surround us,” Chakar added.
“In this way, I would like to position myself as an ambassador for peace and friendship,” Chakar said.
“I’m using my music to stand against the war in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and elsewhere. All I want is to spread a universal message of friendship, peace, solidarity, and hope, both between my fellow Kurds and among all citizens of the universe that value the lasting friendship of nations.”
Tickets to the March 17 concert in Paris are available via billetci.com and sallecortot.com. Tickets for the April 8 concert in Stockholm can be obtained from konserthuset.se, and tickets for the April 20 concert in Vienna can be acquired from the Palais Ehrbar and EventJet websites. Tickets for the May 26 concert in Helsinki can be purchased online from the Ticketmaster website.
