Ireland’s Nyahh Records, founded by Willie Stewart, has one of the most eclectic and unexpected roster of artists to come out of Ireland, or anywhere else, in recent years. Stewart’s choice of artists has resulted in a beautifully curated label that offers a treasure trove of sounds that challenge and reward. They range from the traditional (last year’s compilation A Collection of Songs in the Traditional & Sean-Nós Style), to the experimental (the delightful otherworldly sounds of Natalia Beylis) and some hauntological remote lost-in-time moments (Under the Island: Experimental Music in Ireland 1960 – 1994).
It was Nyahh who released the singular debut of Ian Lynch of Lankum (under the name of One Leg One Eye). In his review of the album for KLOF Mag, Thomas Blake said that while …And Take The Black Worm With Me is not for the faint of heart, it is certainly worth taking the plunge: its immense depths are as emotional as they are musical and conceal a haunting beauty.
That sentence could describe much of what Nyahh Records put out, and, as can be heard on their latest addition, that innovative curational approach continues to reap rewards.
It’s pretty apt that Mohammad Syfkhan’s I Am Kurdish should get a Valentine’s Day release with an opening track titled Do You Have a Lover or Not? He is also supported by Eimear Reidy on Cello and Cathal Roche on Saxophone for three album tracks.
Two tracks are currently up for preview on Bandcamp, which open-heartedly support the description of a brand of ecstatic music that takes elements from Middle Eastern and North African music to create an atmosphere of joy, love and happiness.
The title track, I Am Kurdish, is incredibly catchy, offering plenty of evidence as to why he’s in such demand to play at weddings and events for the Kurdish and Syrian communities all over Ireland and Germany; no one would be left sitting to this.
The following background includes how Mohammad Syfkhan, a professional musician in Syria, eventually had to flee to Europe for safety.
Mohammad Syfkhan is a Kurdish/Syrian Singer and Bouzouki player. He began playing music in 1980 while he was in college studying nursing. When he got his degree in 1983, Mohammad moved to the city of Raqqa, Syria, where he began working as a professional singer and started his own band, The Al-Rabie Band which played concerts, parties, weddings and festivals all over Syria. The Al-Rabie Band were a much sought-after group. Their live sets included Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish and some Western songs, as well as Mohammad’s own original material.
Mohammad continued to play with his band while also working as a surgical nurse until the war broke out in 2011. This, unfortunately, brought tragedy to Mohammad’s family when one of his sons was killed by Isis, thus threatening the lives of the rest of his family. His family had no choice but to leave their home and seek safety in Europe. Three of Mohammad’s sons were resettled in Germany while Mohammad, his young daughter and his wife were taken in by Ireland. Mohammad has spoken at length of his confusion and despair with fundamentalists and how their message is a far cry from the teachings of love and understanding that he considers the true message of Islam.
Since arriving in Ireland, Mohammad has used the language of music to integrate into the local community by playing at private parties and concerts. He regularly plays at weddings and events for the Kurdish and Syrian communities all over Ireland and Germany. He has collaborated with Irish artists like Martin Hayes, Cormac Begley, Eimear Reidy, Cathal Roche and Vincent Woods. In 2023, he opened for Lankum at the Cork Opera House and received massive applause from the packed-out room.
“I thank everyone who has stood with me and supported me. And I especially thank the Irish people who have engaged with my music in such a wonderful way. I consider myself lucky to have come to this wonderful country that has welcomed me and all refugees. I thank God for everything, and now, thanks to this wonderful country, I am a musician and have a safe home. Thank you to the Irish government and people for giving me the honour of calling this country my home.”
– -Mohammad Syfkhan
I Am Kurdish is available on Digital/CD and Vinyl.
Bandcamp: https://nyahhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mohammad-syfkhan-i-am-kurdish
You can also order the Vinyl from Norman Records: https://www.normanrecords.com/records/201405-mohammad-syfkhan-i-am-kurdish