Mem Ararat
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Mem Ararat
| image = Mem Ararat.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|09|17}}
| birth_place = Dêrika Çiyayê Mazî, Mardin Province, Turkey
| genre = Slow
| instrument = Saz
| years_active = 2014-present
}}
Mem Ararat (born September 17, 1981) is a Kurdish singer, songwriter, and composer.[https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/28488-Concert-of-Kurdish-artist-Mem-Ararat-canceled-in-Turkey%27s-Bursa Concert of Kurdish artist Mem Ararat canceled in Turkey's Bursa], Kurdistan 24, published in 2022/05/26 by Wladimir van Wilgenburg.{{Cite web |title=Mem Ararat straneke nû belav kir |url=https://www.rudaw.net/kurmanci/culture/08012023 |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=www.rudaw.net |language=ku}}{{Cite web |date=2022-05-26 |title=AKP municipalities tone down the volume on Kurd-Pop in Turkey - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/05/akp-municipalities-tone-down-volume-kurd-pop-turkey |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=www.al-monitor.com |language=en}}
Life
Ararat was born in Girkê Şêxê village in Dêrik district of Mardin Province.{{Cite web|url=https://www.biyografya.com/biyografi/23034|title=Mem Ararat kimdir, ve nerelidir?|last=Mem|first=Ararat|date=|website=Hozan Akpolat|language=tr|access-date=}} At seven, due to poor economic conditions in his village, his family moved west. In 1991 they returned to Mêrdîn due to political reasons, before moving back again to western Anatolia in 1994, again for political reasons.{{Cite web |last=Admin |date=2023-05-08 |title=Mem Ararat |url=https://nykcc.org/mem-ararat/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=New York Kurdish Cultural Center |language=en-US}}
Due to these migrations, Arat could only attend primary school. Though always been interested in music from childhood onwards, opportunities were scarce to develop his talent properly. When he eventually returned home in 2007, he settled down in Kiziltepe, Mardin where he engaged in farming, construction, trading, and trading jobs.
Career
= Concert ban =
In 2020, his concerts in the provinces of Mersin, Diyarbakır and Bursa were canceled by the Turkish government.{{Cite web |last=Osterlund |first=Paul Benjamin |title=Turkey's 'culture war': Anger grows as string of events cancelled |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/11/turkeys-culture-war-anger-grows-as-string-of-events-cancelled |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Urfa Bar Association to file complaint to counter ban against concert by Kurdish artist Mem Ararat |url=https://anfenglish.com/culture/urfa-bar-association-to-file-complaint-to-counter-ban-against-concert-by-kurdish-artist-mem-ararat-56249 |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=ANF News |language=en}} Ararat made his statement clear on social media by noting that his live performance ban stems from singing in Kurdish and he also mentioned that he will not stop: “This will not stop us from singing our songs in all [Kurdish] dialects!"{{Cite web |last=SCF |date=2021-11-16 |title=Kurdish singer says concert cancelled by municipality for including Kurdish songs |url=https://stockholmcf.org/kurdish-singer-says-concert-cancelled-by-municipality-for-including-kurdish-songs/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=Stockholm Center for Freedom |language=en-US}}
Discography
= Album =
= Video Clips =
- Payîz (Fall, 2016)
- Zozan (2018)
- Xatirxwestin (2019)
- Çîçekê (Flower, 2019)
- Ji Evareke Amedê (In love in Diyarbakir, 2019)
- Evîna Du Çîya (Love of two mountains, 2019)
- Dilo Ez Bimrim (2018)