ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - As part of a two-day festival celebrating traditional Kurdish clothing in Zakho, renowned Kurdish singer Hozan Dino filled the city with emotion through his performances on Thursday.
The festival, titled Shal u Shepek, began on Wednesday and concluded with Dino's concert, which drew more than 50,000 attendees.
Thousands of fans traveled from Kurdish regions in Turkey, Syria and Iran to attend the event.
“Zakho has become a center for brotherhood, peace, and culture. These days, I have seen locals, including shopkeepers in the markets and elsewhere, offering great hospitality. Seeing this gives me more energy,” organizer Kamiran Betasi told Rudaw.
Fans sang along to the songs they have cherished for years, creating an emotional atmosphere throughout the concert.
One of Dino's most popular songs, Oy Yarê, prompted many attendees, including Betasi, to tears as they joined the singer in performing it.
“I left everything just to attend the concert. I did not care what happened because we love him so much, especially our people in Rojava [northeast Syria],” said Berivan Yousef, one of Dino’s fans.
Hozan Dino, whose real name is Yusuf Sahin, hails from the Kurdish province of Ardahan in Turkey.
After being detained by Turkish authorities in 1995 over alleged support for the PKK, he left the country and sought asylum in the Netherlands three years later, where he later obtained Dutch citizenship.
Ghareeb Majeed contributed to this article.
