Serchopi Dance From Iran

Wa-Hatin Pesmerge Me (Here Come Our Peshmerga) Serchopi Dance – Iran Collated and Prepared by Adam Jahanghiri, Jing Lin Wang, and Matthew Atkins

YouTube link to the song: https://youtu.be/UUAEtTg9w6E too did the identity of the Peshmerga as a key part of Kurdish culture - evolving from tribal defenders to nationalist fighters for an independent Kurdish state.” Source: Profile: Who are the Peshmerga? (2014). Retrieved January 22, 2019 from https://www.bbc.com/news/worldmiddle-east-28738975

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Wa-Hatin Pesmerge Me is a piece that uses the Kurdish dance called the serchopi. The serchopi is an Iranian dance that is often used in village celebrations and weddings. The dance helps to create a sense of community among the people. In addition, traditionally, the serchopi has also been performed after the Peshmerga, a guerilla (mountain fighter) group, has defeated terrorist groups, such as ISIS. History “The Peshmerga, whose name translates as "those who face death", are the Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. In recent weeks, they have been fighting Islamist militants of the Islamic State - formerly known as Isis - who seized large swathes of territory in the north. Now thought to number around 190,000, the Peshmerga have their roots in groups of loosely organised tribal border guards in the late 1800s, but were formally organised as the national fighting force of the Kurdish people after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the wake of World War One. As the Kurdish nationalist movement grew, so

Dance The Serchopi involves skipping movements while crossing your feet. It also involves the shrugging off shoulders and swaying back and forth in a line. “The person at the beginning of the line dictates the pace of the dance based on the rhythm of the music. Called serchopi (or sarchopi) the dance leader waves a scarf in tune with the beat of the music, and they may at times step out of the line and stand in front of the dancers, leading the dance like a conductor. “Standing shoulder to shoulder and holding hands, the dance represents unity and equality and it is an integral part of Kurdish identity. The dances are performed in weddings and other joyous social and cultural occasions.” Source: Golzadeh, Z. (2018). A guide to Iran’s most iconic dances [Blog]. Retrieved January 22, 2019 from https://blog.persiaport.com/en/guide-to-iran-most-iconicdances/amp/

Instruments The darbuka is a drum used to keep the pulse of the piece. The rhythm changes from duple to triple meter. The nay is a recorder look-alike with a reed sticking out from the top (similar to

an oboe), and is usually played in the introduction and middle sections of the piece. Other instruments include the mizwad (similar to a bagpipe), and tembur (a stringed instrument similar to the lyre).

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