Carrick-on-Shannon local and bouzouki player Mohammad Syfkhan presents the world premiere of his new collection of original songs — written and performed with a six piece ensemble.
Mohammad Syfkhan is a Kurdish/Syrian singer and bouzouki player currently living in Carrick-on-Shannon. After receiving his nursing degree in 1983, Mohammad moved to the city of Raqqa, Syria where he began working as a professional singer and started his own band. The Al-Rabie Band played concerts, parties, weddings and festivals all over Syria. Their live sets included Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish and occasional Western songs as well as Mohammad’s own original material.
Mohammad has received critical acclaim for his debut album ‘I Am Kurdish’, released in February 2024. It was named Guardian Folk Album of the Month in February and took the No. 1 spot on ‘Thin Air’s’ top Irish releases of 2024. He has since appeared on the Tommy Tiernan Show and Other Voices. Mohammad is currently working alongside Syrian composer Nassem Alatrash to craft new compositions into arrangements for a separate full ensemble, which is set for release in February 2026.
For this special evening, exclusive to The Dock for one night only, Mohammad performs his new material with a full live band - featuring Larissa O’Grady (Violin), Ihab Mahna (Percussion) and local musicians Eimear Reidy (Cello), Cathal Roche (Saxophone) and Willie Stewart (Percussion).
This performance will be recorded on the night for broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM and BBC Radio 3 Music Planet. The writing and arrangement of this new collection has been kindly supported by The Arts Council of Ireland.
