March
4, 2010
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', —
One
of Iraq's Kurdistan Region most famous female
singers, Dashni Murad, is planning to sing for a
wider Arab audience through an anticipated contract
with record company Rotana, the first for a Kurdish
singer, she announces in an exclusive interview,
while also revealing many more things few people
know about the much talked about artist.
"We held talks with Rotana Records and they promised
to offer me a contract once I start singing in
Arabic and release a high-quality video clip with a
renowned director," tells the 24-years-old beautiful
blonde, who's dubbed 'the Shakira of Kurdistan'
because of her resemblance of the world famous
Colombian-Lebanese artist.
Rotana Contract
According to Dashni, Rotana Records (the Arab
World's largest record and entertainment company)
which is owned by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed
Bin Talal Al Saud, has promised her an initial
one-year contract worth US$ 250,000 that includes an
album and four video clips, the first such kind for
a Kurdish artist.
|
Dashni Murad, a Kurdish artist from Sulaimaniyah,
Iraqi Kurdistan,
living in Holland. Photos:
Dashni for ekurd.net, Mariwan F. Salihi. |
"The
contract is not signed yet as Rotana is waiting for
the success of my new album Hom Shika Wawa," she
adds.
Hom Shika Wawa and Suad
Housni
'Hom Shika Wawa,' Dashni's second album thus far,
will be released before Newroz (the Kurdish New Year
which falls on March, 21) and contains 15 songs,
including the Kurdish and Arabic version of a song
with the same name.
'Hom Shika Wawa' will be directed by renowned
Lebanese director Fadi Haddad who was also behind
her successful song 'Hela Hop,' which caused outrage
by some conservatives in Kurdistan Region because of
Dashni's revealing clothes and dance moves.
Dashni traveled to the Lebanese capital Beirut this
week for the filming of her new clip, which will
also air on Rotana's music channels once completed.
Halkawt Zahir, the famous Kurdish songwriter, has
written the song which is influenced by Suad Housni,
a popular Egyptian actress from the 1950s, 1960s and
1970s, nicknamed the 'Cinderella of the Egyptian
Cinema."
"Actually, most of my songs are inspired by Suad
Housni, who's adored very much by my songwriter
Halkawt Zahir," she reveals for the first time.
Dashni invades Arab World
in Arabic
"I will be singing in Arabic for the first time…it's
in the Egyptian dialect," says Dashni while singing
a part of the song.
Asked if she speaks Arabic, she answers while
laughing: "Shwaya, shwaya (meaning 'little, little
in Arabic). But I am planning to learn Arabic and
sing more Arabic songs…I decided to invade the Arab
World with my talent."
"Nechirvan Barzani is my role model"
Dashni returned to Kurdistan Region two years ago,
being 14 years in the Netherlands.
"I decided to come back to my motherland and
sacrifice my private life to rebuilt Kurdistan," she
says, while adding: "The main reason I returned is
because our country is developing very much; all of
this wasn't possible if Kak (meaning 'brother' in
Kurdish) Nechirvan Barzani (the former Kurdistan
Prime Minister) didn't work hard on it. He's my real
role-model…because Nechirvan Barzani transformed
Erbil (capital of Kurdistan Region) from a village
to a global city in minimum time."
"Korek TV boycotted me"
Regarding her career as a TV presenter, which she
did before singing, Dashni has been through many
obstacles, with much hope for a brighter future.
Dashni's first TV career as a presenter started with
Kurdistan TV in Europe, where she became famous with
her variety program 'Be Kontrol' (No Control).
Once Dashni returned to Kurdistan she moved to Korek
TV, one of the main entertainment channels in the
region, presenting her own talk-show called 'Dashni
Show.'
"Initially, Korek TV was supposed to support and
encourage girls and modern people, but it failed.
The management of Korek TV changed and I had to step
out and stop my program...actually they boycotted
me,www.ekurd.netmy
show and my songs," mentions Dashni. "They were
afraid of me and they felt threatened by my talents
and popularity…odd enough, they didn't want me
there."
She says that Korek TV, after several months , asked
her to air her video clips again, but she rejected
it.
"I can't work for them anymore…they boycotted me
first and now I don't need them anymore. They're
afraid of me because of my talents," she says
without mentioning any names. "Now without me,
they've lost a lot of their viewers."
Dashni Show comes back this
summer
"But I'll be back on TV with Dashni Show very soon…I
am not going to take revenge from my enemies, I will
not destroy them; I am going to be smarter and
better than them by surprising them… and they'll be
shocked."
Starting this summer, Dashni is planning to restart
her talk-show once again with another TV channel she
is not mentioning yet.
"I'll start a new chapter, with a TV program that
includes subjects never dealt with in Kurdistan,"
Dashni proudly announces.
Recounting her pre-Korek TV career, Dashni still
misses Kurdistan TV.
"They made me the person I am today and I'll always
be thankful for them, I wouldn't mind going back to
them one day. In fact, I watch their programs every
day, especially their news coverage.
Dashni will act in a movie
Besides modeling, singing and a TV career, Dashni
will also feature in a Kurdish movie soon.
Dashni will be the main character in a movie being
shot somewhere in April or May this year.
"I'll have the role of a Kurdish princess…a very
boyish girl who's respected a lot by her father,"
she says without giving further detail about the
film project.
"I don't sell my body" On a regular basis, the
international and local media have been reporting
heavily on Dashni Murad. Thus far, Dashni has
been
on BBC, Arte (A French-German TV channel), several
Turkish and Lebanese TV channels and dozens of
international newspapers and magazines; but she's
not very optimistic about the Kurdish media.
"We have hundreds of newspapers and magazines and
dozens of TV channels, but unfortunately there's no
real Kurdish media," she says in regard about the
local media. "Most Kurdish newspapers and magazines
only report gossips and rumors and not real news,"
she continues.
"Some people have said that I sold my body to
finance my video clips; that's not true," she says
in a louder tone. "My video clips were all sponsored
by large companies; I don't sell my body and I will
never do that…my successful career was built on my
talents."
"Unfortunately, some jealous people in our society
have the hobby of destroying people…and it always
starts by damaging people's honor; this is what I
don't like about Kurdistan. But people who know me,
they know that I am an honest and sincere person."
Dashni will marry after 10
years
Commenting on the question if she is planning to get
married soon, Dashni says: "I am not planning to get
married soon, though on almost a daily basis I
receive marriage proposals."
Dashni is hoping to get married when she's in her
30s. "Perhaps when I am 32 or 33," she tells.
"When I get married, I want to have one
daughter…perhaps a son, as well, when my future
husband will demand," she says while laughing. "I
want to live a simple life on a farm when I get
married. A nice farm with cows and other animals, in
a beautiful village in the magical mountains of
Kurdistan," she wishes, while highlighting her love
for the nature and her home country.
"I am Dutch and Kurdish"
Dashni, growing up mostly in the city of Arnhem, in
the east of the Netherlands, carries both Dutch and
Iraqi nationalities.
Born on January 1st, 1986, from a mother from
Sulaimaniyah and a father from Kirkuk, she's proud
of her Iraqi-Kurdish origin.
"But I am also Dutch; the Netherlands has offered me
a lot, including security and a safe childhood. I am
50% Dutch because of what I was given there…and 50%
Kurdish because of my origin and what I expect from
my people and my country.
Soon in the markets, Dashni's new album, Hom Shika
Wawa, with 15 songs, will include many types of
music. The album contains an Arabic song, a song in
the Kurdish Hawrami dialect, but it also includes a
patriotic song for Kurdistan and songs for children.
Mariwan
Faydullah Salihi, journalist at
Kurdish Globe and Rudaw in Erbil/Iraqi Kurdistan and
regular eKurd.net contributing writer. You may reach the author via email at: mariwan.journalist (at) gmail.com
Copyright, respective
author or news agency,
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