Çołeçra: Beyt, Bend, Ḧeyran û Heway Nawçekanî Mukriyan Kurdiska (Sorani) 2025

Short Summary of Choleçira

The Importance of Folklore

• Stories, melodies, and narratives are fundamental parts of peoples' cultures that are transmitted orally.

• Because they are often lost and forgotten due to not being written down, documenting them is of particular importance.

## Kawa Faqihzadeh

• A musicologist and composer from Kurdistan who says in the book Choleçira: "If we take a step back toward the past, we come to believe that there were people who created treasures of events, whose identities are unfortunately unclear."

• Folkloric works are influential not only for preserving national identity, but also for enriching contemporary music.

## Global and Kurdish Examples

• In Europe, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, and Bartók are among the prominent figures in reviving their people's folklore.

• In Kurdistan, Mazhar Khaleghi, Houshang Kamkar, Mojtaba Mirzadeh, and Hussein Yousefzamani have made great efforts to preserve parts of folkloric works.

## Eight Styles in Kurdish Folklore

1. Gorani and Hewa: The most widespread singing section in Kurdish music and contains the most historical layer of Kurdish musical literature.

2. Qetar: Without rhythm and mixed with maqams.

3. Heyran: A style of singing that narrates events.

4. Beyt and Band: Narrating heroic events, romance, and love of the Kurdish people.

5. Siyachemane: An independent style derived from natural sounds such as the partridge's call.

6. Hora: Expression of feelings of sorrow and grief, mourning and lamentation in a soft and delicate manner.

7. Lawik and Lawzhe: Expression of feelings, emotions, and sorrows through melody.

8. Chemeri: Used mostly in the regions of Ilam, Lorestan, and Kermanshah.

## Final Section

• Faqihzadeh has transcribed some folk melodies of Hamedi Beytan, Khalezardi, Rasoul Shirmokh, Hamedi Agha, Ali Kardar, Qalashin, Azizi Karimesour, and Hassan Khalandi into musical notation for the purpose of preserving them from loss and disappearance.