Seyyed Ali Asghar Kurdistani, also known as Baba Shahabi, was a renowned singer, musician, and expert in Kurdish melody and song.
He was born in 1881 in the village of Salavat Abad, near the city of Sanandaj in Eastern Kurdistan. Scholarly investigations and familial genealogy trace the distinguished artist’s lineage back to Seyyed Ali Hamadani, the sibling of the renowned Kurdish poet Baba Tahir Hamadani. His full name is Seyyed Ali Asghar Kurdistani, and he is the son of Seyyed Ibrahim, Seyyed Nizamuddin, Seyyed Jami, and Seyyed Muhammad Jawad.
In 1928, Seyyed Ali Asghar Kurdistani recorded his songs on gramophone records for the first time through an Iranian-foreign company called Polyphon. As a result, approximately 15 records featuring the crystal-clear voice of this great artist were produced.
According to Seyyed Abdul Ahad Baba Shahabi, the eldest son of the artist, Seyyed Ali Asghar did not learn music from any specific teacher. Instead, he developed his musical skills naturally, which he regarded as a divine talent. He was knowledgeable in all musical scales and maqams and composed his own songs.
Some of Seyyed Ali Asghar’s famous songs include “Dardi Hijran” (Pain of Separation), “Rafiqani Tariqat” (Friends of the Path), “Kras Kurte” (Short Dress), “Jani Jananam Wara” (Come, My Beloved), and “Ghamgin u Dil Pashewm” (Sad and Disturbed Heart).
Seyyed Ali Asghar Kurdistani married in 1905 and left behind five children. This great artist passed away in 1936 and was buried in his native village, Salavat Abad.