A group of musicians, vocalists hope to revive music in Sulaimani

SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region - A group of vocalists and musicians practice, compose and arrange music together ahead of their two-day concert in the city of culture of Sulaimani.

The 23-membered group carries their instruments to practice for the event scheduled for June 8 and 9, where they are expected to play classic music with a western touch for music lovers at the city’s Culture Hall. 

“We want to perform a concert that combines music with vocals. The style of the music is Rojhelati [Kurdish region in Western Iran] music but mixed with western techniques,” musician and lecturer Sherko Hama Salih told Rudaw’s Peshawa Bakhtyar on Wednesday. 

Sulaimani was named the capital of culture a few years ago, but many cultural events faded away in the Region due to the economic crisis. 

The artists said the city needed a breath of music again.

Rezhwan Ahmed, the only woman musician in the group says it is tough to be a female in the music sector in the Region. 

“Music is not easy and it can be harder if you are a woman. As females, we have more duties and it is going to be more difficult for us,” she added.