Nizamettin Ariç

Nizamettin Ariç (; born 1956 in Ağrı, Turkey) is a contemporary Kurdish singer, composer and director. He was exposed to traditional Kurdish bard music or dengbêj at an early age, but until 1980 was professionally active as a singer of Turkish-language folksongs, including songs that he himself had translated from Kurdish to Turkish. In 1976, he began performing for Ankara Radio. In 1979, at a concert in his hometown of Ağrı, he sang a love song in Kurdish, and was arrested for spreading propaganda. Upon finding he was to be sentenced to 5–15 years, he sought political asylum in Germany and has resided in Berlin since.

Even though he was unable to perform in Turkey, as music critic Orhan Kahyaoğlu notes, Nizamettin Ariç's recordings have been influential on musicians in Turkey, especially Kardeş Türküler (who has covered several of his songs), and film/TV music arranger Aytekin Gazi Ataş. His movie A Song for Beko was one of the first films in the Kurdish language and has won 15 international awards.

Discography Albums, Turkish language Sources: Telli Sazım, Turkola, 1979 Ben Yetim, Öncü Plak, 1980 Telli Sazım / Dertli Ağrı, Aydın, 1986 Hazal Gelin, Göksöy Plakçılık, 1986/1989 Tut Elimden Düşmeyelim, Gema, precise year unknown (late 1990s) Bekesamın/Kimsesizim, Aydın, year unknown

Albums, Kurdish language Berivan, 1982 Çem, 1982 Dilan, 1983 Diyarbekir, 1984 Çiyayên Me, Ses Plak, 1985 Cûdî, Ses Plak, 1986 Dayê, Ses Plak, 1987 Zînê, Ses Plak, 1988 Kurdistan 1988, 1989 Ahmedo Roni, 1991 Wêneyên Xewnan (Images Dreams), Ses Plak, 1993 Bê Kesa Min / Ahmedo Ronî, Aydın Müzik, 1996 Kurdish Ballads 1, 2001 Kurdish Ballads 2, 2002 Azadi, Kalan Müzik Yapım, 2011 Dertli Cemo, Harika Müzik, year unknown Rinda Min, Aydın, year unknown

Filmography Sources:

As director Klamek ji bo Beko (A Song for Beko), 1992

As composer Dilan, dir. Erden Kiral, 1987 Komitas, dir. Don Askarian, 1989 Klamek ji bo Beko, 1992 Dugun: Die Heirat, dir. Ismet Elçi, 1993 De Jongen die niet meer praatte (The Boy Who Stopped Talking), dir. Ben Sombogaart, 1996 Hoppet (The Jump), dir. Petter Næss, 2007 5 No'lu Cezaevi: 1980-84, documentary, dir. Çayan Demirel, 2009 Ölücanlar, documentary, dir. Murat Özçelik, 2010 A Long Night, short, dir. Kamiran Betasi, 2014 Blister, short, dir. Morteza Shams, 2018

As actor Bir Günün Hikayesi (Story of a Day), 1980 (Nizam) Kurban Oldugum, 1982 (Halil) Klamek ji bo Beko, 1992 (Beko)