man , ▁in ▁Bat man ▁province , ▁Turkey ) ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁to ▁an ▁Armen ian ▁family ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁he ▁witness ed ▁the ▁anni h ilation ▁of ▁his ▁village ▁during ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁Gen o cide . ▁X a ço , ▁his ▁brother ▁Abraham , ▁and ▁sister s ▁Man u ş ak ▁and ▁X ez al ▁surv ived ▁the ▁mass acre ▁because ▁a ▁soldier ▁said ▁Let ' s ▁free ▁them ▁and ▁allow ▁them ▁to ▁go ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁lost ▁his ▁parents . ▁He ▁was ▁saved ▁by ▁his ▁knowledge ▁of ▁Kur man ji ▁and ▁his ▁singing ▁talent . ▁ ▁At ▁a ▁young ▁age , ▁he ▁began ▁taking ▁a ▁lik ing ▁for ▁music ▁and ▁would ▁sing ▁old ▁Kur d ish ▁folk ▁songs ▁that ▁were ▁passed ▁on ▁through ▁gener ations . ▁He ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁mer cen ary ▁soldier ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁Foreign ▁Leg ion ▁for ▁nearly ▁ 1 5 ▁years . ▁He ▁married ▁Ye va ▁of ▁the ▁Az iz yan ▁family ▁in ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁city ▁of ▁Q am ish li , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁leg ion naire ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁They ▁had ▁four ▁daughters ▁and ▁a ▁son . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁migr ated ▁to ▁Armen ian ▁Soviet ▁Social ist ▁Republic ▁and ▁settled ▁in ▁Y ere van ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁He ▁form ulated ▁his ▁experiences ▁of ▁the ▁gen o cide . ▁Kar ap ete ▁X a ço ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Kur