Yusuf Şahin/Hozan Dino

Yusuf Şahin/Hozan Dino — Biography

Writing both the words and the music of his songs, Kurdish artist Hozan Dîno, born Yusuf Şahin, works in Kurmanji Kurdish. His best-known song, Oy Yarê, has stayed popular since its release. In November 2025 he received the MESAM award "Most Successful Kurdish Artist of the Year", the first prize of its kind given by the association.

Born in Ardahan, he began school in Hasköy, studied in Gümüşhane and then Istanbul, and had to leave in his final year for personal reasons. His first contact with music came around the Mesopotamian Cultural Center, and financial difficulties made him pause for a time. In 1998 he left Turkey for the Netherlands, took citizenship about four years later and returned to music in those years. His first album Lê Dayê (2002) was loved for its title track, followed by Çû (2005), Namûs (2007), Dîsa Çû (2011) and Roj (2020). Among his video clips are Le Daye, Ez Zarokek Benavim, Oy Yarê, Were Gulê and Veger.

He describes his art as an effort to speak for a people whose love and liberties were taken from them, and summed up thirty-five years of work with the phrase "art is for freedom". He has said he feels at home on his visits to the Kurdistan region.