Şakir Deniz, also known as Şakiro (December 25, 1936, Eleşkirt, Ağrı — June 5, 1996, İzmir), was a Kurdish Dengbêj singer.
[1] The family of Şakiro, who were from the Zilan tribe, lived in the village of Qerqa near Mount Aragats in Armenia before fleeing to the village of Kela Topraqqalê in present-day Eleşkirt district of Turkey, due to the conflict between the Russian and Ottoman empires.
His songs were often recorded on cassettes and distributed illegally, when the Kurdish language faced limitations in cultural expression in Turkey.
[4] His and the recordings of other Dengbêjs such as Karapetê Xaço are considered a resource for the ones who also want to become Denbêj singers.
[5] He once met such an apprentice and foresaw that he will be seen as a Dengbej who sings in the Şakiro style.