Dashni Morad

Dashni Morad
Dashni Morad
Background information
Native name	دەشنێ موراد
Born	(1986-01-01) January 1, 1986 Sulaimaniyah, Iraq
Origin	Netherlands
Occupation(s)	Singer – Songwriter – Television Presenter – Activist
Years active	2006–present
Website	www.dashnimorad.com

Dashni Morad (Kurdish: Deşnê Morad / دەشنێ موراد; born 1 January 1986) is an Iraqi Kurdish-Dutch singer, songwriter, television presenter, human rights and environmental activist.^[1][2] Born in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, she moved to Holland as a refugee with her family in 1997.^[1][3][4] She rose to prominence in 2005 through her television show, "Bê Kontrol", which was the first of its kind in the Kurdistan Region to explore Western culture candidly.^{[1][2][5][6][7][8]} Many people in the Kurdistan Region, particularly the youth, consider Dashni to have broken down cultural and traditional barriers for young women.^{[1][5][6][7][9][10]} In 2009, Dashni began her musical career with the release of her first album, "Hela Hupa", which although successful was also controversial.^{[1][2][5][5][6][7][10]} Her provocative dance moves in the music video led media outlets to refer to her as the "Shakira of Kurdistan".^{[5][7][9][10][11]} Although many of the younger generation appreciated her music and music videos, the more conservative side of society saw them as inappropriate.^{[5][7][9][11]} Morad released two further albums, "Hom Shika Wawa" and "Frishtay Mihreban", and a series of singles, before taking time off from her musical career in 2014 to pursue her humanitarian and environmentalist projects.^[1][2][12] She founded "Green Kids" in 2012, which is a charity focused on underprivileged children, in particular refugee children, as well as the environment.^[1][5][13] Morad has been actively working to try and improve conditions at the refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region, and through campaigns has managed to donate significant money and aid.^{[4][13][14][15][16][17][18]} She is also a prominent campaigner for women’s rights and is seen as an inspirational feminist figure to many young women in the Kurdistan Region.^[1]

Early life

Morad was born on 1 January 1986 in the city of Sulaimaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.^[1] Following the Kurdish uprising against the Ba’ath regime in 1991, 1,400,000 Kurds fled the Kurdistan Region in fear of reprisals from Saddam Hussein.^{[1][3][19][20]} Morad, then aged 5, was forced to flee to the Iranian border with her family, until it was safe to return home.^[1][3]

In 1997, aged 11, she moved to the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands as a refugee with her family.^{[1][3][4][20]} Whilst there, she attended St. Paulus school for two years, until she moved to the nearby town of Didam in 1999. There she attended Liemers College, where she acquired a HAVO diploma. She started modeling when she was 16 and also took up street dance.^[2][21] She also used to play football as a teenager, until her parents forced her to leave because of cultural reasons.^[2][21]

Career

2005-07: Rise to prominence

Having always wanted to work in television, in 2005, aged 19, Morad auditioned for her own show at a nearby Kurdish television station, where her concept was accepted.^[1] The show, "Bê Kontrol", was the first of its kind in the Kurdistan Region to explore Western culture candidly.^{[1][2][5][6][7][8]} Many people in the Kurdistan Region, particularly the youth, consider Morad to have broken down cultural and traditional barriers for young women.^{[1][5][6][7][9][10]} The show aired for two years on Kurdistan TV, a major Iraqi Kurdish television network, and Morad soon became a household name in the Kurdistan Region.^[1][8]

2008-11: Music and controversy

Morad had always dreamt of becoming a singer^[21] and in 2008 she met a producer, Halkawt Zahir, whom she would eventually make three albums with.^[22] In 2009, she began her music career with the release of her first album, "Hela Hupa", which although successful was also controversial.^{[1][2][5][5][6][7][10][20]} The style of the album was considered as folk music with pop beats.^[5][20] Her provocative dance moves in the "Hela Hupa" music video led media outlets to refer to her as the "Shakira of Kurdistan".^{[5][7][9][10][11]} Although many of the younger generation appreciated her music and music videos, the more conservative side of society saw them as inappropriate.^{[5][7][9][11]} A number of Imams preached against her at mosques and certain more conservative television channels boycotted her music videos.^[6][9][11] At one point, she also received death threats.^[1]

Morad persisted to make music with intentionally open Western themes.^[1] In 2010, she released her second album, "Shika Wawa", which was boycotted by much of the television and media industry in the Kurdistan Region.^[2][12] However, the first single released from the album, "Hom Shika Wawa", was more successful abroad, receiving significant airtime on the Arab world’s leading music channel, Rotana.^[22] Fadi Haddad, the renowned Lebanese director, directed the music video for "Hom Shika Wawa".^[22] It was the first time that an Iraqi Kurdish artist had a music video aired on a major international music channel.^[22] Also in 2010, Morad presented "The Dashni Show", which was a talk show that openly discussed female issues such as romantic relationships, which is a subject that remains taboo in Kurdish society.^{[4][7][8][12]}

In 2011, she released her third album, "Frishtay Mihraban", which was a much bigger success than her second album.^[2] Later in 2011, well known for her kind-heartedness, Morad helped an Ethiopian maid, Maha, to become a singer in the Kurdistan Region.^[2][21][23]

2012-14: New beginnings

Having left her old producer, in 2012, Morad released her first English single, "Open Your Eyes", which was not only a hit in the Kurdistan Region, but also the wider Iraq, Lebanon and Holland.^[1] In Holland, "Open Your Eyes" was number one for six weeks on FunX Radio’s XCHART.^[24] "Open Your Eyes" was produced by Gary Stevenson and written by Goran Kay.^[1] Morad was relieved that she was finally able to make the type of music that she wanted.^[1] Later that year, In solidarity with the Syrian people, Morad recorded the song "Power of Love".^[25][26]

This image shows us making the music video to Open Your Eyes.

Morad also in 2012, began presenting a new talk show, "Shepolakani Jiyan", or "Waves of Life", where she focused on education, women’s rights and environmental issues.^[1]

In 2013, Morad and fellow artist Karwan Kamil were awarded a Golden Record for the Best Music Award 2013 by the Institute of Music in Duhok for their single "Binaz".^[27][28] Later that same year, Morad collaborated with the Kurdish musical trio Le Dinê, to release the single "Take Me Home".^[29] Also in 2013, Morad was offered a record deal by a Lebanese music label to release her album in 24 countries.^[1] However, the deal collapsed after being sabotaged by her management team.^[1]

In 2014, after further difficulties with her management team, she decided to leave them, and focus on her charity projects.^[1]

Discography

• Hela Hupa (Album/2009)^[30]
• Hom Shika Wawa (Album/2010)^[31]
• Frishtay Mihreban (Album/2011)^[32]
• I Am (Open Your Eyes) (Single/2012)^[33]
• Binaz (Karwan Kamil ft. Dashni Morad) (Single/2012)^[28]
• Power of Love (Single/2013)^[26]
• Take Me Home (Le Dinê ft. Dashni Morad) (Single/2013)^[29]

Charity work

Morad is a human rights and environmental activist.^{[1][14][15][25]} She founded "Green Kids" in 2012, which is a charity focused on underprivileged children, in particular refugee children, as well as the environment.^[1][5] Amongst other things, Green Kids provides books and learning materials to schools.^[1] To date, Green Kids has distributed over 200,000 books to underprivileged children.^[5]

Working on Green Kids

Morad has been actively working to try and improve the conditions at the refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region.^[15] In 2013, Morad ran a region-wide campaign and raised $50,000 from public donations for the Domuz Syrian Refugee Camp in the Kurdistan Region.^[18] In September 2015, in partnership with Hoby Group Iraq and Adra Kurdistan, Green Kids opened a mini-library at the Baharka Refugee Camp near Erbil.^[14][16] The library provides books in English, Arabic and Kurdish.^[14][16] In April 2016, Morad also collected toys and books donated by school children from the Annie MG Schmidt School in Arnhem (Holland), for her second Mini Children's Library in a refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which she plans to open in 2016.^[4]

Morad has been actively campaigning for and supporting captured and internally displaced Yazidis since 2014.^[13] She is currently running a campaign called "Yazidi Girls", aimed at raising money and awareness in support of Yazidis and other minorities who have suffered at the hands of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq.^[13] In 2014, Morad collected over 30 tons of aid in cooperation with Mala Ezidi Kalkar, donated by people from her local community in Arnhem, for internally displaced Yazidis in the Kurdistan Region.^[13][17]

Morad is also a prominent campaigner for women’s rights and is seen as an inspirational feminist figure to many young women in the Kurdistan Region.^[1] She is currently running a campaign, "Female Voices of the World", which aims to provide a platform for women to speak out and share their stories with one another, where before they were are unable.^[13]

References

External links

• Official Site