He began singing early as a young child. When he was a student in the sixth grade of primary school in the city of Urfa, he went up on stage and sang for the first time. He continued singing in Ankara during his university studies, and in the year 1975, the setback of the Aylul Revolution affected him negatively, which encouraged him to sing revolutionary songs to encourage and boost the morale of the Peshmerga and the people of South Kurdistan.
Şivan Perwer says, "I never wanted to become a singer, but I wanted to study more to obtain a professorship in mathematics and serve humanity in this field. Kurdish singers in Turkey are subjected to imprisonment and torture instead of being welcomed."
He says: "Turkish art and singing in the Turkish language for me is a sale of culture and authenticity and a betrayal of my nation, so I refused to sing in the Turkish language. But when I realized that the Kurdish nation loves music and songs, one can serve their nation through music."
I intended three goals, which were that I tried to mention the name of Kurdistan during the Kurdish song, so that Kurdish art would occupy a prestigious place among world art, and that I would put art at the service of the Kurds, Kurdistan, and its legitimate cause. I decided to become an artist, but whoever becomes an artist and sings in the Kurdish language cannot remain in this country, so I was forced to leave Turkey or seek refuge abroad.
In the year 1976, Şivan Perwer left Turkey and moved to Germany and resided there, where he officially recorded his first album. From there, he went to Sweden and stayed there for 12 years, then went to Britain for four years, headed to France for two years, and lived one year in Belgium.
He returned to Germany for the last time and continued his singing career, and his anthems (Hevalê Bargiranm, Peshmerga, Ey Reqîb, Kîne Em) received a wide welcome from the residents of all four parts of Kurdistan. Şivan Perwer's tapes were smuggled secretly from hand to hand, despite the risk of imprisonment or death. Because of the influence of his songs, many Kurdish youth joined the Kurdish revolutions in the four parts of Kurdistan, and many others were tortured to death in the prisons of the occupying countries.
Şivan Perwer's songs were banned in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran for 25 years, because they were sung in the Kurdish language and often referred to the oppression that the Kurdish people are subjected to in the Middle East, most notably Turkey.
In the year 1991, Şivan Perwer recorded a concert to support refugees in South Kurdistan with the help of famous singers such as Chris de Burgh, Madonna, Rod Stewart, and many other international artists, and donated the proceeds to the refugees of Kurdistan. In the year 1999, he invited Abdullah Öcalan to Italy to begin his civil struggle there.
In the year 2004, Şivan Perwer founded a cultural and artistic organization in Germany and also wanted to establish it in Sweden, but he failed. On September 15, 2009, he established a television station in the Kurdish language in Paris with the help of Kendal Nezan and the Kurdish Institute. The television continued for three years. Şivan Perwer sang in hundreds of Kurdish singing festivals in European countries, America, Canada, Africa, Australia, and South Kurdistan. On the eve of Turkey's opening to the Kurdish issue, Şivan Perwer's songs were released and he was asked to return to Turkey and visit Kurdistan, but he did not respond to the Turkish government.
Şivan Perwer says, "The Turkish government had been trying to bring me back for 10 years, and they say they will establish a new system, so you must return and serve the country. I did not trust them, because I believe that I should not return until the rights of the Kurds are enshrined in the Turkish constitution." On January 16, 2013, he returned to Turkey after 30 years by order of President Masoud Barzani, where he was officially received by Erdoğan and officials in the Turkish government and met with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He sang with İbrahim Tatlıses in Amed at a wedding of 300 grooms and brides in the presence of President Barzani and Erdoğan.
Produced Şivan Perwer more than thirty albums and video clips, a documentary film, and wrote many books and published many other publications. He has been singing for more than forty years. He has received many honorary doctorates and world music awards. He has sung many poems by the well-known national poet Cigerxwîn. He had kinship relations with Hassan Abdulrahman Suwari, and the latter had close relations with many politicians and figures in all parts of Kurdistan.
In view of the services that Şivan Perwer provided to Kurdish art and music, and he is considered one of the artists who had an influential role in the Kurdistan liberation movement, President Masoud Barzani awarded him the Barzani Medal on June 3, 2001.
His singing albums:
1- Govenda Azadîxwazan, year 1975
2- Hevalê Bargiranm, year 1976
3- Herne Pêş, year 1977
4- Ey Ferat, year 1978
5- Kîne Em, year 1979
6-Hay Dil J, year 1980
7- Gelê Kurda Rabe, year 1981
8- Agirî, year 1982
9- Bilbilo Ferzê, year 1983
10- Dotmam, year 1985
11- Lê Dilberê, year 1986
12- Helebce, year 1988
13- Bilbila Dilşadî, Helebce, year 1988
14- Xewna Min, year 1991
15- Zembîlfiroş, year 1992
16- Ya Star, year 1995
17- Nazê, year 1996
18- Hêvîyate, year 1999
19- Roj û Heyv, year 2000
20- Sarê, year 2001
21- Helbestên Bijartiyên 1 Krivê, year 2002
22- Helbestên Bijartiyên 2 Krivê, year 2003
23- Helbestên Bijartiyên 3, year 2004
24- Min Bîriya Te Kiriye, year 2004
25- Dastana Rojhilat, year 2001
26- Şivanname, Gazind, year 2013
Sources:- Archive of the Encyclopedia Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party
- Jump up to:a b "Med-Music on the move: Music of immigrants in Europe". Retrieved 7 January 2009
- "Iconic Kurdish musician returns to Turkey after 38 years of exile to 'sing for peace'". Hurriyet Daily News. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- Jump up to:a b Gazeteci, İrfan Aktan. "Lo şivano, 'kîne em?' - Ey şivan, biz kimiz?". BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 September 2019
- MusicMoz - Bands and Artists: P: Perwer, Sivan: Biographies
- Kiyak, Mely (27 October 2014). "Essay: Ihr werdet nie in Sicherheit sein". Spiegel Online. Vol. 44. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- "Sivan Perwer - PRI's The World". Retrieved 7 January 2009.
- Jump up to:a b Reynolds, James (18 November 2013). "Returning hero divides Kurds". Retrieved (26 September 2019).