A Yazidi refugee has brought his band back together after Islamic State destroyed his home and all of his traditional instruments.
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Kheri Shngale was a performer back in Iraq, but lost all of his speakers and his two tambur instruments when ISIS soldiers terrorised his village.
"I was in tears. Everything through my house was destroyed. Everything was gone," Mr Shngale said.
He came to Wagga in 2019, and since then he has managed to get his life back together and replace the instruments that were destroyed when his house was bombed by terrorists.
He was able to restart his band with his cousin, who plays keyboard, and together they have started performing traditional Kurmanji-language songs around Wagga.
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Their most recent gig was at the botanic gardens on Australia Day, where the Yazidi community came to dance to the familiar tunes that remind them of home.
Mr Shngale said these days he mostly sings happy songs, saying that it is his way of expressing his gratitude to his new Australian home.
"I sing about happy. Everything happy, because Australia is happy," Mr Shngale said.
"We like enjoying Australia Day and community Yazidi have a party. Join together."
Mr Shngale says he is now enjoying his new home in Wagga, where he is rebuilding his life together with his wife and three-year-old son.