Article profiles two Feyli Kurdish musicians who shaped Khanaqin's music scene

DIYALA, Iraq — An article by Dr. Kasim al-Mendalawi profiles two Feyli Kurdish musicians who left a mark on the city of Khanaqin, in Iraq's Diyala province. Haval Muhammad Hanekini, born in 1948, grew up in Khanaqin before relocating to Sulaymaniyah, where he performed numerous folk songs in Kurdish, Persian and Arabic and took part in festivals in Sulaymaniyah and Erbil. The artist has called on the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Youth and Culture to preserve Khanaqin's musical heritage. Hasan Heyas Kak Yi, born in 1965, completed his education in Khanaqin and won first place at the Diyala schools festival in 1983. He recorded his first song on Kirkuk television in 1986 and moved to Baghdad in 1992, where he founded the Shirin Music Ensemble and performed at Feyli Kurdish weddings and events. Kak Yi has released seven albums since 1990 and given concerts in Stockholm, Oslo, and the Iranian cities of Kermanshah and Ilam. He also served for seven years as a presenter on the Kurdish section of Baghdad Radio and as editor-in-chief of the Khanaqin-based newspaper Banan.