Remembering Hozan Serhat

At the age of 7, Hozan Serhat, who was curious about the bağlama played by his brother Arif Alpdoğan, started playing the instrument.

Süleyman Alpdoğan (Hozan Serhat) was born on 24 July 1970 in Eleşkirt, Ağrı.

Hozan Serhat, the youngest of 5 siblings, settled in Patnos with his family after his father passed away.

Hozan Serhat spent his childhood and youth here and completed primary and secondary school and high school in the district.

At the age of 7, Hozan Serhat, who was curious about the bağlama played by his brother Arif Alpdoğan, started playing the instrument.

In 1988, Hozan Serhat came the 2nd among the 800 students in the Ege University Turkish Music State Conservatory Department. Instead of bağlama, he studied tar which is an Azerbaijani instrument. In addition he played kaval (a flute), guitar, bağlama, keyboard.

Having a keen interest in Kurdish music, Hozan Serhat researches it and re-arranged some Kurdish songs.

In 1991, Hozan Serhat went to the mountains with his wife Yıldız Alpdoğan whom he met at the university. Yıldız Alpdoğan was arrested in Cizre and sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison and sent to Amasya Prison.

After this Hozan Serhat went to Damascus, first to Haftanin and then to Mahsum Korkmaz Academy where he studied.

Considering his competence in music education, Hozan Serhat was sent to Hünerkom for cultural and artistic activities in Europe, where he worked for 4 years, involved especially in Koma Berxwedan. Hozan Serhat, who does not just played music, was also interested in theater.

After returning from Europe to Kurdistan in 1996, Hozan Serhat stayed in Zap for a while and then went to MKM in Hewlêr where he participated in many art events.

On 17 May 1997, the KDP peshmerga blockade the MKM and Heyva Sor institutions. Some of the artists in MKM were killed. After this, Hozan Serhat made the song Hewlêr which is the song is known for especially in Başur.

He worked with Hozan Serhat Ibrahim Xeyati, Tara Resul, Tehsin Taha, Ercumen Hewrami, Niyan Ebdullah and many musicians who stayed in Suleymaniye for about 3 years.

On 22 July 1999, Hozan Serhat went to Beytüşşebap with some friends to shoot a video, and was martyred as a result of the ambush carried out by the Turkish army.