Biji Kurdistan! by Calais Field Music

The last CFM recording made €280 in downloads for the musician, Beshwar Hassan.

When I returned to Dunkirk to meet with Besh and give him his earnings we did another recording session. This time with his brother Karox and a young man called Shakar. Two drummers from Sudan, Mustafa and B5, came with me and you can hear their beats on some of these Kurdish songs amongst the clarinet and guitar. They bring their charisma and warmth to every situation. There’s a really lovely improvised moment with Kurdish clarinet and Sudanese drum, each dipping and diving trying to find each other in the dance.

Karox is 22 years old and lives in Dunkirk with his brother Besh. They are waiting to be reunited with their mother and three brothers, now in the UK. We sat in a shipping container whilst he belted out some traditional Kurdish songs of longing and grief, accompanied by Besh on clarinet.

Shakar played guitar and sang for us. He is only 18 and wants to play football when he gets to the UK. He had started studying music in Slemani before having to flee. I commiserated with him about this and about living in limbo in this camp. With resilience, he said ‘mafi mushkla’ (no problem), ‘the only problem is if you die, and it’s no problem for me, just problem for my family’.

#solidaritynotcharity
All proceeds will go directly to the musicians involved.

CALAIS FIELD MUSIC is a project by, Isolda Heavey. It is a way to help refugees within the camp at Calais earn their own money by sharing their music. Proceeds go directly to the camp’s artists
#solidaritynotcharity