Kurdistan's Joan Baez
Edwina Charles, London, 18 February 2014
A composer and singer based in London, Aygül Erce is nicknamed the Joan Baez of Kurdistan. Her protest songs, with lyrics in Kurdish and Turkish, subtitled in English, have recently been made into a video clip for YouTube by H. I. Pilikian, a polymath professor and author of many books.
The song's lyrics are based on a Turkish newspaper report about a Kurdish student who was imprisoned in Turkey for merely being at a … bus-stop, on the route of a political demonstration.
The scarf Erce is wearing (the title of her Song Pushi means scarf) in the clip is a reference to the Palestinian "fashion-item" symbolizing the struggle of Palestinian youth (the Intifada) for freedom and democracy.
Erce’s composition is hauntingly melodious and easily memorable.
Kurdistan's Joan Baez
Edwina Charles, London, 18 February 2014
A composer and singer based in London, Aygül Erce is nicknamed the Joan Baez of Kurdistan. Her protest songs, with lyrics in Kurdish and Turkish, subtitled in English, have recently been made into a video clip for YouTube by H. I. Pilikian, a polymath professor and author of many books.
The song's lyrics are based on a Turkish newspaper report about a Kurdish student who was imprisoned in Turkey for merely being at a … bus-stop, on the route of a political demonstration.
The scarf Erce is wearing (the title of her Song Pushi means scarf) in the clip is a reference to the Palestinian "fashion-item" symbolizing the struggle of Palestinian youth (the Intifada) for freedom and democracy.
Erce’s composition is hauntingly melodious and easily memorable.
Click here for Turkish version
Puşi (Kurdish) | PUŞİ (Turkish) | Scarf (English) |
Hewa pir sare îro | Hava cok soguk bugun | The weather is cold today |
Min puşîya xwe gireda | Taktim yine Pusimi | I wore my scarf called Puşi |
Otobus jî nema hat | Otobuste gelmedi | |
Dereng mam ji dibistanê xwe | Gec kaldim okuluma | The bus did not arrive on time |
and I was late for my Uni | ||
Xistin zindane Xistin | Tiktilar iceriye | |
Avêtin puşîya min erdê | Attilar Pusimi yere | Suddenly, the Police put me in prison |
Qey min puşî gredayî | Pusi takmisim diye | They threw my Puşi on the floor |
şewitandin biqesdanî | Yaktilar bile bile | |
Because I wore a large scarf | ||
Oy eman eman eman | Oy aman aman aman | They wanted to ruin my life on purpose |
Oy eman eman eman | Oy aman aman aman | |
şewitandin dayê eman | Oy aman yaktilar anam | They did ruin my life indeed |
Salên min dizîn eman | Yillarimi caldilar | Ai yaman yaman yaman |
Ciwanîya min dest diçe | Gencligim gidiyor elden | Ai yaman yaman yaman |
Dibistana min zu qetîya | Okulum bitti erken | Ai yaman they burnt me alive |
Ewa ku serê min hat | Basima gelenlere | They stole my years away |
manayek Hên nikaribum | Bir anlam veremeden | |
Dadgehê ava kirine | My Life’s time is wasted | |
Cezayê min birîne | Mahkemeyi kurmuslar | My Uni is over |
Çi govan heye çi selmin | Cezamida kesmisler | |
Salên min dizîne eman | Ne tanik var ne delil | And I really have no answer |
Yillarimi calmislar | As to what happened to me | |
Xistin zindane Xistin | ||
Avêtin puşîya min erdê | They put me on trial | |
Qey min puşî gredayî | They sentenced me | |
şewitandin biqesdanî | Without any evidence of what my guilt was | |
Oy eman eman eman | ||
Oy eman eman eman | ||
şewitandin dayê eman | ||
Salên min dizîn eman |