Nazan Sala- Şehriban Abi

 

VAN - Prisoner Behiye Baki, who is in Van T Type Closed Prison, passes through the prison walls by her klams (Kurdish songs). Behiye, who grew up by listening to Ayşe Şan and Meryem Xan and was in prison because her klams, said, "Only my body is captive, not my voice. ''.

 

Behiye Baki (32), who is in Van T Type Closed Prison, has been reaching thousands of prisoners by her voice over the thick walls of the prison for four years. Behiye, who witnessed the captivity of dozens of women in four years, talked about  the pain, happiness, joy and captivity by her klams with journalists Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala, who were held in the same prison.

 

Behiye, who started to be a dengbej (singer who tells stories by songs) when she was only 15 years old. She struggled despite the state's intolerance to Kurdish culture and the feudal approach of her family. Her activities on dengbejlik (story telling by song) were accepted as a crime. In 2017, she was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment on the allegation of "being a member of the organization" upon witness’ statements. But there was not any evidence. Behiye talked about the difficulties she lived outside and her life in prison.

 

'I became a dengbej at the age of 15'

 

Behiye said that when she was 13 years old, she was listening to tapes of her mother's: dengbej Ayşe Şan and Meryem Xan. She listened to them at home and she was affected by these sounds.''I liked Kurdish songs played on cassettes very much. Then I started to sing outside, at home, on the highland… When I was 15, my voice was noticed by those near me. My family and friends said that my voice was nice. My family used to tell me "sing only at home, don't sing outside," but I went to a cultural center in Hakkari's Yüksekova district for  vocal training. In the first 5 years, I faced with   social and family pressure, but I struggled. "I tried to keep alive the Kurdish culture of dengbejlik as  singing my songs in all areas of life." she said.

 

'Now I am known as a dengbej'

 

Stating that for the first time she sang in Van with a group of friends in 2009 to make her voice heard, Behiye said, “Now I am known as 'Dengbej Behiye', not just Behiye. And I joined a training from dengbejs on sound. At that time, I was listening to songs on Yerevan Radio. The best teacher for me was this radio. I took part in many weddings, events, entertainment and celebrations in the city. Joy, happiness and pain can be expressed in a dengbej song.

 

'Only my body is captive, not my voice'

 

Behiye said that she sang klams as a dengbej in cultural centers or scens. Because of she sang klams as dengbej, her performance was considered as a crime and she was arrested in 2017. She noted that this showed the government's intolerance of Kurdish culture. Behiye said, “Only my body is captive here, not my voice. My voice echoes in prison. We share our joy and sorrow with women by klams. Even if we are between four walls, we must keep our culture alive. I transformed my family and society with my klams. I struggled hard to get my voice heard. I'm only here in prison because of singing. Singing or dengbejlik are not crimes. Hundreds of people who know me may not know that I am a prisoner here just because of singing. Everybody knows me as a dengbej ”.

 

Klams (Kurdish songs) in prisons

 

Behiye sings many klams (Kurdish songs) at the request of women in the prison ward and courtyard. Behiye sings Dengbej songs with her loud voice in the courtyard. The women staying in the other wards respond with whistles and claps. "Morale nights" are spent without sleep at night and almost always with the klams of Behiye. In the letters sent to Behiye by the prisoners mention the harmony and beauty of Behiye's voice, and when they go out, they write that they want to listen to Behiye face to face.