Karapetê Xaço, also rendered as Karabêtê Xaço or Gerabêtê Xaço (Armenian: Կարապետ Խաչո), was an Armenian vocalist renowned for his performances of traditional Kurdish dengbêj music. He lived from 3 September 1900 (some sources cite 1903 or 1908) until 15 January 2005.
Early Life
Karapetê Xaço was born in the village of Bileyder—present‑day Binatlı, Batman Province, Turkey—then part of the Ottoman Empire. He came from an Armenian family. During the Armenian genocide of 1915, his village was destroyed; Xaço, his brother Abraham, and his sisters Manuşak and Xezal survived after a soldier spared them as orphans. His fluency in Kurmanji (a Kurdish dialect) and his singing ability helped ensure their survival.
Military Involvement
After the genocide, Xaço joined Kurdish rebels during the Sheikh Said Rebellion (1925). Following the rebellion’s defeat, he fled to Syria under the French Mandate. He later served for approximately fifteen years as a mercenary soldier in the French Armenian Legion.
In 1936, while stationed in Qamishli, Syria, Xaço married Yeva Azizyan; the couple had four daughters and one son.
Relocation to Armenia
Following Syrian independence, Xaço’s family migrated to the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, settling in Yerevan in 1946. There he began working for the Kurdish language service of Yerevan Radio, where his performances reached a wide Kurdish audience.
Musical Career
Karapetê Xaço became one of the most celebrated dengbêj singers—a tradition of narrative folk singing that preserves Kurdish oral history and culture. His extensive repertoire included well‑known songs such as “Ay lo mîro,” “Adullê,” “Çume Cizîre,” “Xim ximê,” and “Lê dayikê.” Recordings of his renditions have served as reference versions for subsequent artists, contributing significantly to the preservation of Kurdish musical heritage.
Death and Legacy
Karapetê Xaço died on 15 January 2005. His hundreds of recorded dengbêj songs are regarded as vital cultural artifacts that document Kurdish folklore, history, and linguistic tradition. Scholars and musicians continue to cite his work as foundational within the dengbêj canon.
References
- Wikipedia contributors, “Karapetê Xaço,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
- Salihe Kevirbiri, Bir Çığlığın Yüzyılı: Karapetê Xaço, Si Yayınları, 2002.
- Abidin Parıltı, Dengbêjler: Sözün Yazgısı, İthaki Yayınları, 2006.
Note: Birth year varies among sources (1900, 1903, or 1908). The information presented reflects the consensus of available encyclopedic references.
