Chopy Fatah
Chopy Fatah | |
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Chopy in 2012 | |
Background information | |
Born |
Kirkuk, Iraq | June 10, 1983
Origin | Netherlands |
Genres | Kurdish, English, World, Folk |
Occupation(s) | Singer, Performer, Songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 2000 – present |
Associated acts | Hozan Kawa – Karwan Kamil |
Website | chopy.krd |
Chopy Fatah (Kurdish:Çopî Fetah / چۆپی فەتاح, born June 10, 1983) is a contemporary Kurdish singer. She was born in Kirkuk, Iraqi Kurdistan. Her family emigrated to the Netherlands in 1988. She released her first album titled Çît Naw Binêm in 2003.
Career
After emigrating to the Netherlands, she joined a Dutch choir school in 1990 and also attended a music school in 1996 where she focused on singing under the supervision of her teachers. In 1999, she attended the Kurdish Music Academy in Germany where she studied under the supervision of the Kurdish music teacher Wirya Ahmad. She performed on stage for the first time in The Hague, Netherlands in 2000. Chopy has released a total of 5 Kurdish music albums and 3 English singles "Draw the Line", "My Homeland" and "Think of Me".
Chopy's music & advertisement videos are played on different TV channels in the Middle East:
- Qatar : Al Jazeera
- Iraq – Arabic : Al Sharqiya, Al-Baghdadia TV, Al Iraqiya and Al Sumaria
- Iraq – Kurdish : Kurdistan TV, KurdSat, Kurdish News Network (KNN), Zagros TV, Gali Kurdistan, Kanal4, KOREK TV, VIN TV, Kurdmax, NRT2, Rudaw TV
- United Arab Emirates (UAE) : Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), Persian Music Channel (PMC)
- Iran – Kurdish : TISHK TV, Rojhelat TV, KBC, Newroz TV, KLIK SAT, KOMALA TV
- Turkey – Kurdish : Roj TV, Sterk TV, MMC TV, TRT 6, Kurd1 Channel, Dünya TV,
- Lebanon – Egypt : Melody Music
- Saudi Arabia Al Arabiya
- Syria – Kurdish : Ronahî TV
Chopy has been interviewed by many Kurdish and Iraqi newspapers and magazines, as well as by newspapers from Turkey (Habertürk), Dutch newspapers Algemeen Dagblad, NRC Next, Trouw, Nederlands Dagblad and the Italian weekly women's fashion and celebrity gossip magazine Grazia. The Dutch current affairs TV programmes EénVandaag and Goudmijn made reports about Chopy's life. She has also performed in Jörgen Raymanns TV show 'Zo Raymann' (Raymanns Suikerfeest).
In 2008 Chopy became the cultural Ambassador of Asia Cell Telecom Company. This is one of the most important Iraqi telecommunications company that caters to more than 9 million subscribers around Iraq. The result of this was that thousands of Chopy's (Asia Cell) billboards were placed around Iraq.
Chopy has performed in Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Greece, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates. In the Kurdish populated areas of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Armenia and Azerbaijan, she is one of the most famous singers (according to Turkish newspaper Habertürk ). Thousands of her CDs have been sold around the world. Uniquely of Chopy is the fact that she is known in different parts of Kurdistan because she sings in Kurdish-Sorani (native) and Kurdish-Kurmanci (according to the Dutch newspaper NRC Next). Thus she gave concerts throughout Kurdistan: in Diyarbakir (Amed), Batman, Arbil (Erbil/Hawler), Qamishlo, Sulaimaniyah, Van and Kirkuk.
Chopy was one of the first singers to perform in the Iraqi (Kurdish) city of Kirkuk after the fall off Saddam's dictatorship. Chopy stated that she did so because of her love for her hometown and her many fans (according to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad). Many of Chopy Fatah's concerts and music events have been attended by important Iraqi and Kurdish politicians like the President of the Republic of Iraq, Jalal Talabani and the president of the Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani.
Chopy supported in 2009 the Democratic Society Party DTP (the current BDP Peace and Democracy Party) by sending an official letter to its leader Ahmet Türk where she explained that she will do everything in her power to support the peaceful solution of the Kurdish issue in Turkey (North-Kurdistan). “As a Kurdish artist I want to show my support to the solution of the Kurdish question in North-Kurdistan (Southeast Turkey).” Chopy said she is willing to give free concerts in Diyarbakir (Amed), Cizîr, Batman and other cities to support peace. Chopy was one of the Kurdish singers that held concerts in Iraqi Kurdistan to raise money for the Kurdish victims of the Van earthquake that struck the city in southeastern Turkey in October 2011 (2011 Van earthquake). On 21 March 2013 she held a performance in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir (Amed) in front of 2 million people to support peace and freedom for the Kurds in Turkey.
In October 2013 Chopy was chosen to be the Kurdish flag bearer for the One Young World Summit' in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Kurdish flag was for the first time hoisted at the event, alongside flags of 190 other countries attending the summit.
Discography
2003 – Çît Naw Binêm
- 02. Siya Cemane
- 03. Legel Xem
- 04. Yara Min
- 05. Le Mehzunan
- 06. Xosewistekem
- 07. Hevala Min
- 08. Xemi Duri
- 09. Seydayi
2007 – Nawit Denem Jino
- 01. Gwe Nagirim
- 02. Serbesti
- 03. Hedi Hedi
- 04. Bimbexse
- 05. Xak
- 06. Isqa Mezin
- 07. De Birro
- 08. Zistani Ruhh
- 09. Day Wele Nabe, Semame
- 10. Ere Bazo, Neki
- 11. Be Soz
- 12. Grftar
- 13. Kirkuk
2010 – Crystal
- 01. Hewilmede
- 02. Kiristal
- 03. Be tu nagem
- 04. Disan
- 05. Eshqe diwar ninin
- 06. Meysharewe
- 07. Mire peyvan
- 08. Ho ew kesey
2011 – Şara
- 01. Le Paş Mergim
- 02. Nemam
- 03. Lanik Jînan
- 04. Beqûrban
- 05. Sefer
- 06. Nemirdim Min
- 07. Ehmedî Mala Mûsa
- 08. Evînê
- 09. Le Derîyawe
- 10. Loy Nemayîme
- 11. Lawkê Metînê
- 12. Bûlbûl Exwênê
2012 – Baran
- 01. Awir Dewe
- 02. Baran
- 03. Wenegir
- 04. Diltengiyekanim
- 05. Tirsi Mergawi
- 06. Rojgar
- 07. Yar
- 08. Xweneri Tenya
- 09. Diro
- 10. Baran (Unplugged Version)
SINGLES
- 01. Think of me
- 02. Draw the line
- 03. My Homeland
External links
- Official website of Chopy Fatah
- Chopy's newspaper interview – Kurdish Globe (English)
- Chopy's newspaper interview – Algemeen Dagblad (Dutch)
- Report about Chopy on Dutch Television – EenVandaag (Dutch)
- Report about Chopy on Dutch Television – Goudmijn (Dutch)
- Chopy on Dutch TV programme Raymanns Suikerfeest – from min 39(Dutch)
- Chopy in an AsiaCell advertisement