First, second, and third place winners.
The 2011 Kurdish Youth Festival in Dallas, Texas, featured a “Kurds Got Talent” competition. Although many men and women participated, female performers swept the competition, winning first, second, and third places.
Trifa Bajalan
Trifa Bajalan brought down the house with a beutiful rendition of a well-known Kurdish song titled “Keçe Kurdan” ("Kurdish Girls) and won the first-place prize, a round-trip ticket to Kurdistan. Although dancing was not allowed due to space and safety issues, the audience could not stay seated as Trifa sang. The room erupted with everyone joyfully dancing a traditional Kurdish dance.
This photo essay contains pictures of “Kurdish Girls,” the women performers in the competition. The captions are English-translated excerpts from the song Trifa sang, “Kurdish Girls.”
Complete lyrics and links about the song are provided at the end of the photo essay.
Girls, get up and make your voice heard by the world!
Tough things wait for you up there
Since women are at the front and they study
Now that pen has replaced the sword.
Girls, we want you to come to the light with us.
Girls, we want you to come with us to fight.
Yes, we are Kurdish girls!
We are lionesses
And the hope of men.
We are the roses of Kurds.
We rebelled because of the ignorant.
Girls, we want you to come to the light with us.
Girls, we want you to come with us to fight.
Lyrics to “Keçe Kurdan” (“Kurdish Girls”)
Girls, get up and make your voice heard by the world!
Tough things wait for you up there
Since women are at the front and they study
Now that pen has replaced the sword.
Girls, we want you to come to the light with us.
Girls, we want you to come with us to fight.
Yes, we are Kurdish girls!
We are lionesses and the hope of men.
We are the roses of Kurds.
We rebelled because of the ignorant.
Raise your head up, Kurdish girl!
My heart melts away.
Where is home, where is freedom
Where is the mother of us orphans?
Tough things wait for you up there
Since women are at the front and they study
Now that pen has replaced the sword.
Girls, we want you to come to the light with us.
Girls, we want you to come with us to fight.
Yes, we are Kurdish girls!
We are lionesses and the hope of men.
We are the roses of Kurds.
We rebelled because of the ignorant.
Raise your head up, Kurdish girl!
My heart melts away.
Where is home, where is freedom
Where is the mother of us orphans?
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