Old Kurdish Songs: 22 Classics Every Kurd Knows

A guide to the old Kurdish songs that still fill homes, weddings and radios, from Mukriyan and Kirkuk to Kermanshah, Hawraman and Yerevan.

Harem Jamal Rashid · October 29, 2026 · 11 min read

Old Kurdish Songs: 22 Classics Every Kurd Knows

Ask any Kurd to sing you an old song and you will usually get one from a short list. Radio carried these songs in the 1950s and 1960s, cassettes in the 1970s and 1980s, and phones carry them today, from Erbil and Mahabad to Diyarbakır and Stockholm.

This guide collects 22 old Kurdish songs that people still know by heart. They come in Sorani, Kurmanji and Hawrami, from all parts of Kurdistan and from the Kurds of Soviet Armenia. For each we give the singer who made it famous, the region and what the song is about, with free notation where KurdNote has the exact song.

If you have read our 10 most famous Kurdish folk songs, think of this as the wider map, organised by region and radio tradition, the routes by which these songs reached people. Note that Kurdish songs are often known by their first line, so one song may have several titles.

Mukriyan: the songs of Hassan Zirek and Mihemed Mamle

The Mukriyan region around Mahabad and Bukan in Iranian Kurdistan gave Sorani song two of its greatest voices. Hassan Zirek (1921–1972), born in Bukan, recorded for the Kurdish sections of Baghdad, Tehran and Kermanshah radio. Mihemed Mamle (1925–1999), from Mahabad, sang many of the same folk songs and set poems by Hêmin and Hejar to music.

1. Gewherê (گەوهەرێ)

Made famous by: Hassan Zirek · Dialect: Sorani (Mukriyani)

"O Gewher." Gewher is a woman's name meaning jewel. Zirek recorded it at least twice, in Kermanshah and Tehran and in Baghdad, and it remains a favourite. More in our guide to Hassan Zirek's greatest songs.

2. Ayşilê Nazenînê (ئایشیلێ نازەنینێ)

Made famous by: Hassan Zirek · Dialect: Sorani

A love song to Ayşilê, with nazenîn meaning graceful or dearly loved. Zirek recorded it in Kermanshah and Tehran. KurdNote's transcription: Ayshli u Nazenini.

3. Baran Barane (باران بارانە)

Made famous by: Hassan Zirek · Dialect: Sorani

"It is raining, it is raining." Zirek recorded his version in Baghdad. Free notation for Baran Barane.

4. Bawanekey Babm (باوانەکەی بابم)

Made famous by: Hassan Zirek · Dialect: Sorani

Bawan is a woman's family home, so the title means roughly "my father's house". Zirek's discography also lists it as Her Tom Dewê ("Only you I want"). He recorded it in Baghdad, Tehran and Kermanshah. Free notation for Bawanekey Babm.

5. Amînê Sûre Gul (ئامینێ سوورەگوڵ)

Made famous by: Hassan Zirek and Mihemed Mamle · Dialect: Sorani

"Amînê, red rose." Both Zirek and Mamle recorded it. KurdNote has two variants: Amînê Sûre Gul and Amînê Sûre Gul 2.

6. Kiçan Deçne Mêrgulan (کیژان دەچنە مێرگوڵان)

Made famous by: Hassan Zirek · Dialect: Sorani

"The girls are going to Mêrgulan." Mêrg means meadow and gul flower. Zirek recorded two versions, one in Baghdad and one in Kermanshah.

7. Ketane (کەتانە)

Made famous by: Hassan Zirek and Ali Mardan · Dialect: Sorani

Ketan is linen. Zirek recorded his version in Rezaiyeh (Urmia) and Tehran, and Ketan Ketane also appears among the famous songs of Ali Mardan.

8. Hewarî Xalî (هەواری خاڵی)

Made famous by: Mihemed Mamle · Dialect: Sorani

"The empty summer camp." A hewar is the mountain pasture where families moved with their flocks each summer, and an empty one is a picture of loss. It is one of Mamle's best-known recordings.

Kirkuk, Koya and Baghdad radio: Ali Mardan and Tahir Tofiq

In Iraqi Kurdistan, old songs grew up alongside the maqam, a long, free-rhythm style of singing. Much of it was broadcast by the Kurdish section of Baghdad radio.

9. Çend Carim Wit (چەند جارم وت)

Made famous by: Ali Mardan · Dialect: Sorani

"How many times did I tell you." Ali Mardan (1904–1981) was born in Kirkuk and died in Baghdad, and is said to have recorded more than a thousand songs. Sorani Wikipedia lists this piece among his famous maqams, sung in maqam Homayun.

10. Kiras Zerdê (کراس زەردێ)

Made famous by: Tahir Tofiq · Dialect: Sorani

"The yellow dress." Tahir Tofiq (1922–1987) came from Koya, near Erbil. Kiras Zerdê is among the titles most often listed as his popular songs.

11. Ey Mutribî Herîfan (ئەی موتریبی حەریفان)

Made famous by: Tahir Tofiq · Dialect: Sorani

"O minstrel of the companions." The language is that of classical poetry, and several versions by Tofiq survive. If maqam is new to you, start with our page on maqam Bayati and our guide to what a maqam is.

Kermanshah, Sanandaj and Hawraman: old songs from Iranian Kurdistan

Three places matter most here: Kermanshah radio, where Zirek made many of his most-loved recordings; the city of Sanandaj (Sine); and Hawraman, home of Gorani (Hawrami) singing styles that many Kurds count among the oldest of all.

12. Newroz (نەورۆز)

Made famous by: Hassan Zirek · Dialect: Sorani · Poem: Pîremêrd · Music: Mojtaba Mirzadeh

The song of the Kurdish New Year. Pîremêrd wrote the poem in 1948, Mojtaba Mirzadeh set it to music, and Zirek recorded it on Kurdish radio in Tehran and Kermanshah in the 1960s. It is still sung every March. See also our article on Newroz music.

13. Kaley Bey (کاڵە بەی)

Made famous by: Abbas Kamandi · Dialect: Sorani (Sanandaj)

"Unripe quince." Rudaw called it the most famous song of Abbas Kamandi, and it became the theme of a very popular TV programme. Kamandi recorded for years with the Kamkars; his story is told in our full biography.

14. Siyachemane (سیاچەمانە), as sung by Osman Hawrami

Best-known singer: Osman Hawrami · Dialect: Hawrami (Gorani)

Siyachemane is less a single song than a whole way of singing. It is sung without instruments, mostly in Hawraman, Hawraman Takht and Lahon, and Rudaw names Osman Hawrami as its best-known singer. The Hawrami singer Limo Hawrami told Kurdistan24 it is one of the most difficult styles in Kurdish song. Our English guide to Hawrami and Zazaki music explores the tradition.

Kurmanji classics: Yerevan radio and the dengbêj

In the Kurmanji north, old songs were kept alive by the dengbêj, singers who told long stories in song. So, surprisingly, was Radio Yerevan in Soviet Armenia, whose Kurdish service recorded hundreds of songs at a time when Kurdish was heavily restricted in Turkey.

15. Çûme Cizîrê (چوومە جزیرێ)

Made famous by: Karapetê Xaço · Dialect: Kurmanji

"I went to Cizîr", the old town of Cizre on the Tigris. Karapetê Xaço was an Armenian singer born in Bileyder near Batman (sources give years from 1900 to 1908). He worked for decades at Radio Yerevan and died on 15 January 2005. Çûme Cizîrê is one of the traditional songs he is best remembered for.

16. Zembîlfiroş (زەمبیلفرۆش)

Made famous by: Karapetê Xaço · Dialect: Kurmanji

"The basket seller." This is one of the great Kurdish love epics. A ruler's son leaves his palace to live simply, selling baskets. A noble lady, the Xatûn, falls in love with him, and he refuses her. The story exists in many oral versions, and Xaço is among the singers who recorded it. More on the epic singers in our English-only guide to dengbêj.

Kurmanji voices of the cassette era

From the 1960s, a new generation recorded Kurmanji songs on records and cassettes, often in exile.

17. Xerîbim Dayê (خەریبم دایێ)

Made famous by: Ayşe Şan · Dialect: Kurmanji

"Mother, I am a stranger." Ayşe Şan (1938–1996) was born in Diyarbakır and died in Izmir. This is one of her best-known songs, and it is about the death of her mother.

18. Qederê (قەدەرێ)

Made famous by: Ayşe Şan · Dialect: Kurmanji

"Fate." Şan wrote it in memory of her daughter Şahnaz, who died at eighteen months while the family was in Germany.

19. Ez Xezalim (ئەز خەزالم)

Made famous by: Ayşe Şan · Dialect: Kurmanji

"I am a gazelle." This was one of her biggest successes, and a song she is still widely known for.

20. Ay Lê Gulê (ئای لێ گولێ)

Made famous by: Mihemed Şêxo · Dialect: Kurmanji

"Oh, my rose." Mihemed Şêxo (1948–1989), from Qamişlo, is one of the founding voices of modern Kurmanji song. Ay Lê Gulê is still played often on Kurdish music channels and has been covered by many singers.

21. Nesrîn (نەسرین)

Made famous by: Mihemed Şêxo · Dialect: Kurmanji

Nesrîn is a woman's name. With Ay Lê Gulê, it is one of the two Şêxo songs most often named as still widely played. More Kurmanji favourites are in the Kurmanji classics playlist.

22. Kîne Em? (کینە ئەم؟)

Made famous by: Şivan Perwer · Dialect: Kurmanji · Poem: Cegerxwîn

"Who are we?" Perwer set the 1973 poem by Cegerxwîn, which answers its own question by naming farmers, workers and villagers as the Kurdish people. The pairing worked so well that Cegerxwîn is said to have called Şivan Perwer the voice of his poetry.

Looking for slow, sad old songs (khaw)?

Many people search for khaw songs, slow and heavy-hearted, for a quiet evening. From this list, try:

Xerîbim Dayê and Qederê by Ayşe Şan, both written from real grief.
Çend Carim Wit by Ali Mardan and Ey Mutribî Herîfan by Tahir Tofiq, where the free rhythm of maqam stretches every line.
Hewarî Xalî by Mihemed Mamle.
Siyachemane from Hawraman, a voice alone with no instruments at all.

Our Songs of Longing and Exile playlist gathers notated folk songs in the same mood. For a happier evening, our guide to Kurdish wedding music and the wedding evening playlist cover the dance side of the old repertoire.

Why these old songs endure

Why does a 1960s radio tape still feel alive when recent hits vanish within a year?

They are built to be remembered. Songs passed on mainly by memory had to be easy to sing back, often around a short title phrase or a beloved's name.
They belong to everyone. Many were sung by more than one great singer: Amînê Sûre Gul by Zirek and Mamle, Ketane by Zirek and Ali Mardan. A song with many owners is hard to lose.
They carried what could not be said. Where Kurdish was restricted, a love song could carry feelings about home and exile. Our English-only article on how Kurdish music was banned tells that story.
Radio and exile spread them. Baghdad, Tehran, Kermanshah and Yerevan radio sent these voices across borders, and cassettes carried them to Europe.

For the flip side, read Why today's songs fade fast.

How to learn old Kurdish songs from notation

Listening comes first; playing a song is how it becomes yours:

Pick a song with notation. Baran Barane, Amînê Sûre Gul and Bawanekey Babm are all on KurdNote with free PDF and audio.
Learn to read the signs. Kurdish notation uses special accidentals for quarter tones. Our guide on how to read Kurdish music notation explains them step by step.
Play along with a classic recording. The singer's ornaments and held notes are where the style lives.
Start with Sorani, then try Kurmanji. The Beginner's Sorani Folk playlist is a gentle first step; then explore the Kurmanji notes.
Choose your instrument. These melodies suit the kamancheh and the oud, and Kurdish songs on piano shows how to adapt them to a keyboard.

For the singers behind these songs, read our overview of famous Kurdish singers. If you read Sorani, the free book Hassan Zirek: Artist of an Oppressed Nation goes deeper into Zirek's life and work. Then start playing: open the free notation for Baran Barane and browse all our Sorani and Kurmanji sheet music.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What are the most famous old Kurdish songs?

Among the best known are Hassan Zirek's Gewherê, Baran Barane and Newroz, Ali Mardan's maqam Çend Carim Wit, Tahir Tofiq's Kiras Zerdê, Ayşe Şan's Xerîbim Dayê, Mihemed Şêxo's Ay Lê Gulê and Şivan Perwer's Kîne Em. Each region has its own classics, so a Kurd from Kermanshah and a Kurd from Qamişlo may give different answers.

What is the most popular Kurdish song?

There is no single answer. In Sorani-speaking regions Hassan Zirek's songs are the most widely known, while in Kurmanji regions songs by Şivan Perwer, Mihemed Şêxo and Ayşe Şan are heard most often. For the Kurdish New Year, Hassan Zirek's Newroz is a staple everywhere.

Which old Kurdish songs are slow and sad?

Ayşe Şan's Xerîbim Dayê, written about her mother's death, and Qederê, written for her daughter, are two of the saddest. The free-rhythm maqam pieces of Ali Mardan and Tahir Tofiq and the unaccompanied Hawrami siyachemane are also slow and deeply emotional.

Where can I find sheet music for old Kurdish music?

KurdNote offers free notation with PDF and audio for many old Sorani and Kurmanji folk songs, including Baran Barane, Amînê Sûre Gul and Bawanekey Babm. The notes library is sorted by Sorani and Kurmanji.

Who are the great singers of old Kurdish music?

Key names include Hassan Zirek, Mihemed Mamle, Ali Mardan and Tahir Tofiq in Sorani; Karapetê Xaço, Ayşe Şan, Mihemed Şêxo and Şivan Perwer in Kurmanji; and Abbas Kamandi and Osman Hawrami in the Sanandaj and Hawrami traditions.