Gabriel Asaad
Assyrian musician (born 1907)

Gabriel Asaad
ܓܒܪܐܝܠ ܐܣܥܕ
Gabriel Asaad in 1962
Born(1907-03-18)March 18, 1907
Midyat, Ottoman Empire
DiedJuly 6, 1997(1997-07-06) (aged 90)
Stockholm, Sweden
Known forComposer and Assyrian nationalist

Gabriel Asaad (Syriac: ܓܒܪܐܝܠ ܐܣܥܕ) (March 18, 1907 – July 6, 1997) was an Assyrian composer, musician and nationalist. His classic songs include "Ho Donho Shemsho" (Syriac: ܗܐ ܕܢܚܐ ܫܡܫܐ, lit. 'The Sun is Shining'), "Motho rḥimto nisho dil" (Syriac: ܡܬܐ ܪܚܝܡܬܐ ܢܝܫܐ ܕܝܠܝ, lit. 'My beloved nation is my goal'), "Monaw kuoro" (Syriac: ܡܢܘ ܟܘܐܪܐ, romanized: Who is the blind person?) and "Moth Beth-Nahrin" (Syriac: ܡܬܝ ܒܝܬܢܗܪܝܢ, lit. 'Mesopotamia, My Nation').[1]

Inspired by nationalistic activities, which he began in Syria,[2] Asaad is considered a pioneer in modern Assyrian folk-pop music, having composed the first song in Turoyo.[3][4][5] He performed in various dialects of modern Neo-Aramaic languages. Today, he is retrospectively regarded as a master in Assyrian music and a popular hero among Western Assyrian musicians.[6][7][8]

Asaad playing the violin alongside Serop Yaqub (clarinet) and Aram Tigran (jumbush) in Qamishli, c. 1960's.

Early life

Asaad was born in Midyat on March 18, 1907, to a Syriac Orthodox family. His surname was derived from his father, while his "official" surname was "Some".[9] Shortly before the Assyrian genocide in 1914, his family moved to Adana where he studied languages at the "Taw Mim Semkath" orphanage school under Philoxenos Yuhanon Dolabani,[10] and then to Damascus in 1921.[11]

His years at the orphanage school would influence his passion for Assyrian identity and music, with his early inspiration from Syriac Orthodox hymns. Although nobody had ever pursued music in his family before, his parents did not object to his wishes of becoming a musician.[9]

Career

In 1926, Asaad moved to Beirut and began to play the violin as his choice of instrument.[9] It was there that he composed his first song, "Othuroye Ho Mtoth Elfan l-Metba'" (Syriac: ܐܬܘܪܝܶܐ ܗܐ ܡܛܬ ܐܠܦܢ ܠܡܛܒܥ, lit. 'Assyrians, our Ship is Sinking').[4] Between 1931 and 1936, he lived in Mandatory Palestine, composing and performing more music, including two pieces commemorating the Simele massacre (Sohde Othur).[10] During his stay there, Asaad performed music with many Arab artists such as Marie Jubran and Saleh Abdel Hai. He moved to Qamishli in 1937.

In 1953, Asaad wrote a book about music containing his works, and six years later found work as a musical director in a cultural center in Qamishli to continue his work.[12][13] As Arab nationalism began to rise in Syria, Asaad's book was censured and only thirteen of his thirty songs could be published, and he took great notice of the trend of Ignatius Aphrem I's stance against Assyrian identity.[14]

Asaad briefly led a scout celebration featuring fellow Assyrian musician Ninib Lahdo playing the cümbüş.[15] During this timeframe, Asaad was also giving musical lessons to younger Assyrian musicians such as Gabi Shimun, Joseph Malke, and Fuad Ispir.[1][10][16] Originally, Asaad was considered to compose poems by Danho Dahho such as "Shamo mar" (Syriac: ܫܡܐ ܡܪܝ), but rejected the composition since he mostly composed songs in Classical Syriac.[17] The song would eventually be given to Habib Mousa and recorded in August 1968.[18]

Like with other musicians such as Nouri Iskandar and Joseph Malke, Asaad maintained that Syriac chant and sacral music was rooted in pre-Christian origins influenced by the surrounding region.[19][20] Before his passing, he published a book titled "The Syrian Music Throughout History" (Arabic: الموسيقى السورية عبر التاريخ),[11] which documented musical nodes and an ancient Syriac musical scale. His last song, Ema G-ḥozena Shlomo? ("When will we see peace?) was recorded in 1984.[10][13]

Personal life and death

Asaad's son Sardanapal was encouraged to take up fine arts and studied music with the help of Asaad.[21] He moved to Sweden in 1979 where he would stay for the rest of his life.[11] He died on July 6, 1997, at the age of 90.

Legacy

Asaad, like other Assyrian nationalists such as Naum Faiq, regarded music and poetry as being a means of uniting people.[22] When asked about the developments of Assyrian folk-pop music, Asaad remarked that he was proud that it could now be played freely without issues.[23][24] He is remembered as the leading composer for West Assyrian music during the 1930s and 40s, and whose music created a backbone for Assyrians in Sweden as they began building up activities.[8] His work is also regarded as a conquest for taking back Assyrian folk-pop music from the realm of the church, who restricted its adherents from composing music.[19][25]

Asaad's compositions have since been documented by his son Sardanapal, and his compositions have become a standard among Assyrians today.[9] In 2006, a collection of his work was released in Sweden on a CD titled "An Assyrian Music Pioneer".[13][26] His legacy was additionally carried on by other musicians in the Western Assyrian community.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Zeitoune 2016, p. 36.
  2. ^ Lundberg 2009, p. 168.
  3. ^ Akbaş, Arif (September 30, 2023). "Orta Doğu Müziğine Sosyolojik Bir Bakış" [A Sociological Perspective on Middle Eastern Music]. Turkish Academic Research Review. 8 (3): 1099. doi:10.30622/tarr.1298509 – via DergiPark.
  4. ^ a b Farid, Nahro (November 18, 2011). "Never Forget Gabriel Asaad". www.ishtartv.com. Ishtar TV. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  5. ^ Zeitoune 2007, p. 530.
  6. ^ Zeitoune, Abboud (May 20, 2010). "Abboud Zeitoune Commentary on Mesopotamian Night". www.abboudzeitoune.com. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  7. ^ Lundberg 1998, p. 21.
  8. ^ a b Lundberg 2009, p. 163.
  9. ^ a b c d Lundberg, Dan. "Virtual Assyria: A visit to a musical rebel – Svenskt visarkiv". old.visarkiv.se. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d Barkarmo, Nemrod (June 11, 2016). "Assyriernas största musikaliska pionjär" [The greatest musical pioneer of the Assyrians]. Huyada (in Swedish). Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c "Malfono Gabriel Asaad (1907–1997)". www.syriacmusic.com. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  12. ^ Lundberg 2009, pp. 168–169.
  13. ^ a b c Zeitoune 2007, p. 531.
  14. ^ Makko, Aryo (July 20, 2017). "The Assyrian "concept of unity" after Seyfo". In Travis, Hannibal (ed.). The Assyrian genocide: cultural and political legacies. London: Routledge. p. 246. ISBN 9781351980258.
  15. ^ "Legendary Singer Ninib Lahdo Live at Mesopotamian Night 2015". mesonight.org. San Jose: Mesopotamian Night. June 26, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  16. ^ Romanos, Hanibal (December 5, 2007). "Assyrian Musician Gabi Shamun Passed Away". zindamagazine.com. Sweden: Hujådå Magazine. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  17. ^ Zeitoune 2016, p. 37.
  18. ^ Zeitoune 2016, p. 38.
  19. ^ a b Lundberg 2009, p. 166.
  20. ^ Zeitoune, Abboud (December 8, 2022). "History of Modern Assyrian Music" (PDF). Banipal. Vol. 47. Ankawa: Syriac Heritage Museum. p. 236. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  21. ^ "Sardanapal Asaad". www.syriacmusic.com. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  22. ^ a b Lundberg 1998, p. 22.
  23. ^ Lundberg 1998, p. 26.
  24. ^ Lundberg, Dan. "Virtual Assyria: Expressive specialists – Svenskt visarkiv". old.visarkiv.se. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  25. ^ Lundberg 1998, pp. 21–22.
  26. ^ "مؤسس الموسيقى السريانية الحديثة .عن موقع الجزيرة كوم". www.ishakalkomi.com (in Arabic). Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2025.

Bibliography

  • Lundberg, Dan (December 1, 1998). "Welcome to Assyria – your land on the Cyber Space: Music and the Internet in the establishment of a transnational Assyrian identity". Etnomusikologian vuosikirja. 10. Finland: 13–28. doi:10.23985/evk.101081.
  • Lundberg, Dan (2009). "Translocal Communities: Music as an Identity Marker in the Assyrian Diaspora". Music in Motion. Transcript Verlag. pp. 153–172. doi:10.1515/9783839410745-009. ISBN 978-3-8376-1074-1.
  • Zeitoune, Abboud (2007). Music Pearls of Beth-Nahrin. pp. 530–531. ISBN 3931358097.
  • Zeitoune, Abboud (2016). Music Heritage of Mesopotamia. Assyrischer Jugendverband Mitteleuropa e.V. ISBN 978-3-00-053601-4.
  • Qeenatha
  • Sohde d'Othur Performance
  • Ho Denho Shemsho translation
  • Assyria TV Lecture in Turoyo
  • The Syrian Music Throughout History
  • الموسيقار الملفان كبرئيل أسعد , كريم إينا
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