News Center_ Fatima Isa’s voice stands as one of the most notable landmarks in Kurdish musical memory. Despite her brief radio presence, she left behind a singing legacy that remains alive to this day.

Fatima Isa was born in 1934 in the village of Irizgin in Azerbaijan, then moved with her family after displacement to the village of Hamzali in Armenia.

Her life journey was not easy. She grew up in a strict traditional environment and suffered cruelty and deprivation. She did not attend school and was married at the age of fourteen, as was the case with most Kurdish girls at that time. During that period, women's singing was viewed as something unacceptable, just as Maryam Khan faced similar pressures.

In 1964, Khalil Chatchan Muradov, an official at Yerevan Radio, visited a village near his own. There, he heard from Mohammad Silo about the beauty of Fatima Isa's voice. Chatchan asked her to sing for the radio.

At that time, female voices on the radio were limited to Yazidi Kurdish singers such as Suska Simo, Bulga Qado, Zadina Shakir, and Tokasa Khimo. Fatima Isa, however, came from a Muslim Kurdish family, and in her society, singing was only acceptable at women's gatherings. Nevertheless, with her aunt's support, she agreed to the invitation, went to Mohammad Silo's house, and her voice was recorded there.

Fatima Isa sang on the radio only once, and five of her songs were recorded, becoming part of Kurdish memory: "De Miho, Dîna Min, Şerê Reya Beşer, Gedê Mirzo, Derwêşê Evdî," along with other songs that were well received and accepted by listeners. Notably, the song "De Miho" gained a special place in the hearts of Kurds.

"De Miho" – A jewel of Kurdish heritage

The song "De Miho" is considered one of the most prominent traditional Kurdish songs, with an unknown author. Fatima Isa performed it in a style that left a deep impact on Kurdish music.

The song is based on a legendary love story between a strong girl named "Tili" and a young man from the "Miho" clan. In a society where emotional expression was limited, this song emerged to show a woman's love for a man, which was rare at that time. Thus, the song acquired its distinctive classical character, with its long, melancholic tone embodying Tili's passion and admiration for Miho.

The passing of Fatima Isa

Fatima Isa and her family lived a life full of relocations. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic crisis, in addition to tensions between different peoples, they migrated in 1989 to Russia and settled in a small village in the Krasnodar region, where she died in 2010.

According to what has been passed down, Fatima Isa always expressed the pains and suffering of the Kurdish people and believed that a bright day would come for the Kurds, no matter how long it took.