Biography

Adnan Karim is a prominent Kurdish singer from Sulaimani, Iraq. He was born in 1963 in Kirkuk. The first Iraq war and the rise of sectarian violence forced his family to flee Kirkuk and settle in Sulaimani in today's Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Karim continued his educational path in Sulaimani and graduated as an artist. He grew up with his family in an environment rich with culture. During his early teenage years he was exposed to Kurdish traditional music and story telling. Over the years, famous Kurdish musicians such as Tahir Tofiq and Mamle influenced him when developing his musical talent. Threatened by Saddam Hussein's regime and the attacks on Kurdish people in the 1990s, Adnans family chose to go into exile to Sweden in 1992. Today, Adnan's music is appreciated both in the Middle East (specifically the Kurdish areas in various countries across the region) and parts of Europe. The authenticity of Adnan's style is admired especially by Kurdish people due to the purity of his traditional melodies and the absence of, particularly modern elements. The genuine sound of his compositions is rounded up by the harmony between lyrics, sound, and the choice of musical instruments. Audiences get a genuine feeling of the deep and melancholic message delivered by the songs. His voice is accompanied by oriental instruments, often played by himself, which are deep rooted in Kurdish music.