Aras Fatih Rasul (born September 26, 1972), known by the stage names Aras Koyi (), is a Kurdish-Swedish singer, songwriter, director, scenarist, producer and philanthropist.
Early life and education
Aras Fatih Rasul was born in Kirkuk, Iraq, though his family is originally from Koy Sanjaq. His family was forced to leave Iraq in 1981 due to the political activities of his father, Fatih Rasul. Fatih was a Peshmerga who faced imprisonments, and ultimately, exile. When he was a young boy, Koyi lived in Soviet Union, where he continued his studies at Interdom in the city of Ivanovo.
After finishing high school in 1990, he moved to the Eskilstuna in Sweden where he reunited with his long-separated family. In 1993, he returned to Moscow, where he began his studies to become a film director at the Moscow State Art and Cultural University. During his studies, Koyi began writing songs. He graduated in 1997 and moved back to his family in Sweden.
Career
Koyi's first CD single "Tap-Tap" was released in 1999. It included an English version of "Tap-Tap", a Kurdish version of "Tap-Tap (Footsteps)", the song "Nask u Nerm (Delicately, Softly)" and "Destekant Bine (Give Me Your Hands)". In 2000, Aras Koyi started his own music company, Arasia Media Services and Production. In August 2001, he released a CD single and music video called "Tomato". It was inspired by the annual La Tomatina festival in the town of Bunol, Spain.