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Sazan M. Mandalawi

That's a change I thought to myself. Normally this situation would be the other way around; whilst I enjoy the Kurdish choice in songs, he prefers the English hard, noisy music that I honestly cannot understand a single word of. To my amazement, he looked well acquainted with the song, knew the words and sang along with the similar beat and passion-it did not take long till I learned the words too, a chorus is certainly not difficult to grasp (as a matter of fact this was not a song, but rather a jingle).

Watching him smiling, doing gentle moves in his seat, and possessing the moment, I was shocked but decided to stay quiet before I sounded like my father.

The lyrics were somewhat about kisses and the "singer" making kissing echoes, which I found utterly aggravating to listen to whilst trying to focus on the road; but if this is what gets my younger brother to listen to Kurdish songs then it will not bother me.

Those familiar with the Arab celebrity world, I can tell you Dashne, Hani, and a handful of others are equivalent to Haifa Wahbi and Rubi of Kurdistan. There is more enjoyment in watching them than listening to them. So do I like them? No! Does my opinion matter? Again, no!

I am not offended having these people in the field, like any field the music industry must have the bad so we can differentiate from the good. However, the modern technology that has appeared allows for almost anyone with a pretty face to release an album. This has made the process much easier for many of the newcomers in the field.

It will not be long before Kurdistan has its own "The Insider--High Definition" to catch up on the latest gossip and celebrity news. The recent launch of Kanal 4, and prior to that, Korek TV, is grasping the attention of many young people, especially those living abroad. The style of presenting, the television shows, and even the presenters themselves have an approach that many would call "up-to-date" with the rest of the world.

As a girl who abhors nonsense music, I find it rather amusing watching these beautiful girls singing and acting in video clips that are no different than any other developed country in the world. Then imagine how the male youth are seduced with these images and clips that are not on mountain tops like they are used to be.

I wouldn't care less; their nice bodies, beauty in their faces. In simple jargon, these new Kurdish idols--I will not dare call them icons--are "hot." For one, they are brave to come out in this culture wearing a mini skirt, revealing almost half of their upper parts, and saying words that not exactly every Kurdish girl would be comfortable saying. Do they reflect the average Kurdish girl next door? Definitely not. Yet their presence has caused vibrancy in society that satisfies a certain targeted group of people.

After all, having a few of them around adds color to our magazines and newspapers; having the pictures of the same political faces, I must admit, requires something of this kind to create a balance.

I can see the change from generation to generation; father's choice of songs would be Ali Mardan and Salah Dawooda, who are the real singers with meanings and words in their voices. People like Karim Kaban, Mazhari Khalaki, and Tanya Arab (who is well-known for the Kurdish Hayran style of music and song) most likely need to be placed in the museum. As great as their voices and lyrics may be--and the respect they earn from Kurds is splendid--it is, however, not the choice of music for the majority of youth today.

I cannot say these new "singers" are failures, because it will just be a reflection of my own opinion; whether we like it or not they have their own fans. I do not listen to the yodeling style of music (or the Hayran) that my father indulges in, and certainly do not indulge in the fast, heart-throbbing, meaningless songs my brother finds amusement in. Sometimes it is best to have a mix of everything and let individuals make the choice to follow and watch what pleases them.

Having said all this, no matter how much our style and taste of music differs and changes with times, the Kurdish halparke music will remain alive and up to date, generation after generation. The high beats of the drums and the sharp thumping will not die out. As I say, a Kurdish baby is first acquainted to Kurdish music and traditional dance from the time she is in her mother's womb.