Assyrian music may refer to:

• Music in ancient Assyria
• Assyrian/Syriac folk music
• Syriac sacral music, sacral music in Syriac Christianity

Contents 1 Assyrian Music, History 1.1 Ancient period 1.2 Tribal and Folkloric Period 1.3 Modern and to-date Assyrian Music 2 List of the earliest known-recorded Assyrian Albums 3 Assyrian Dances 4 References

[edit] Assyrian Music, History

[edit] Ancient period

Part 1. Mesopotamia: has produced written evidence supporting the existence of sophisticated music theory and practice in Ur, Babylon and Nineveh, cultures. Inscribed tables with specific tuning modes, string names and hymens.

The discovery of numerous musical instruments in royal burial sites such as The Golden Lyre of Ur, c. 2650 BC helps illustrate the prominent role music played in Mesopotamian life and religion. The tunings were known there, as early as 3500 B.C.E. Musicians and their instruments appear frequently in the artwork and archaeological artefacts of Iraq's deep antiquity. Among the instrument you will find illustrated are; Percussion Instruments: Drums, Timbrels and Rattles. Wind Instruments: Flutes, Pipes and Horns. String Instruments: Harps, Lyres and Lutes.

Part 2. Religious Music: The Syriac Churches have a musical system based on ancient Assyrian principals today are known as 'Maqams', there are 8 maqams used in the church and these are known as Kadmaya (Makam Bayati, Makam Ussak), Trayona, Tlithoya, Rbia'ya (Makam Rast), Khmshaya, Shitithoya, Shibaya and Timinoya (Makam Hijaz), (in order from one to eight). The most predominant works of the Syriac Churches music was collected in an anthology book named Beth Gazo (Psalms of the treasury of Maqams). There are also musical psalms other than this repertoire of 700 psalms, among them are the Fenqitho of the Syriac Orthodox and Maronite Churches, as well as the Khudra of the Church of the East.

One year is divided into eight weeks according to the Church calendar and the first period starts eight Sundays before Christmas. Every Sunday, the prayers in the Psalms are read with one of the Maqam.

It is important to note that ancient Assyrians had special hymens and prayers performed in their Temples by priesthood on special occasions and festivals. Many of these Hymens survived in the O. T and in the Syriac Churches. It also can be found in the traditional Arabic Makams, there are also new research linking the root of Flamenco music to its origin in Mesopotamia.

[edit] Tribal and Folkloric Period

At this time in 1966 Albert Rouel Tamras releases his first Assyrian Folklore LP in Baghdad Iraq for Bashirphone recordings owned by Jameil Bashir a famous Assyrian Iraqi Ud and violin Soloist. Singing in the background with Albert are non-other than Biba and Sargon Gabriele two Assyrian singers who will pioneer modern Assyrian music.

Other early Folkloric Assyrian Music LPs released by Jameil Bashir on Bashirphone were for such singers as, Oshana Youel Mirza, Eshaya O'Elizabeth Zaya, Evlin Shimon, Youa Eskhaq, Awaymek Hayder, Alber Yousep Biba and probably Awaya Yacoub. Jameil Bashir Violin and Ud melodies can be heard on most of the tracks on these LPs. Music Arrangements on most of these LPs are Ud (Lute), Violin, Tambura (long neck lute), Drum (Tabla), and Rattles.

Here are few types of tribal Assyrian Music that has survived to this day, especially in the villages of North Iraq and Syria.

Rawey: A mostly love songs with a story-tale structure, which may include themes about daily life, suffering and pain.

Diwane: Sung in gatherings and meetings; lyrics cover aspects of life such as, working in the fields, persecution, suffering, religion.

Lilyana: Wedding songs usually sung by women only, especially for the bride before leaving her home to get married. Also sung for the bridegroom the day before his wedding by his family and relatives. Sample of an Assyrian Rawey from Youtube. (Recommended)

Dowlah and Zornah: These are two traditional music instruments, literally meaning a drum and wind-pipe (or flute). They are played together, either with or without singing in many ceremonies such as weddings, welcoming and funerals (however, for funerals played for unmarried men, they are accompanied by singing).

Tambura: Another tribal music instrument, a string instrument with long neck, originated in ancient Assyria, discovered being depicted on carving from South Iraq from UR to Akkad and Ashur. Albert Rouel Tamras is a famous Assyrian Singer from Iraq who played this instrument and sung many beautiful folkloric songs accompanied by hand-drum (tabla).

[[ It was in the area north of Mosul that people started to write the modern Syriac vernacular more than two hundred years before the American missionaries. The earliest dated text is a poem written in 1591. This makes early Neo-Syriac literature a contemporary of Jewish Neo-Aramaic literature from roughly the same region, dating back to the mid-seventeenth century.The Neo-Syriac literature which existed before the arrival of the American missionaries consisted mainly of poetry. This poetry can be divided into three categories: stanzaic Hymns, dispute poems, and drinking songs. Of these three categories, only the hymns, which in Neo-Syriac are termed durikyätä (sg: durak or durikta) and which can be seen as the equivalent of the Classical Syriac madrase, can usually be traced back to individual authors.

Most durikyätä are dated, ranging from the late sixteenth to the late nineteenth century. Most manuscripts come from the late nineteenth century, the first specimen of this poetry was transcribed on the basis of oral recitation, a poem by T'oma Singari. This edition was soon followed by Lidzbarski's edition of a poem of Yosep Jemdani from Telkepe (Telkaif) and one of HnaniSo' from Rustaqa. Three other poems by Yosep from Telkepe were published by Bernard Vandenhoff. The most complete list of durikyätä is the one by Poizat, Another group of poems can be grouped together as "dispute poems", in which two "persons" in turn are speaking. They often also carry the epitheth durik, probably due to the fact that they display the same poetical pattern of monorhyme strophes. Out of seven dispute poems, three are not explicitly religious, whereas the others are.

These uncertainties with respect to time of origin also account for the third group of Neo-Syriac poems, the zmiryate d-rawe. "drinking songs". Here we are in the realm of popular songs, to be sung or recited at weddings and the like. These songs often have parallels in other region languages and probably were transmitted orally for a long period before they were put into writing. Two manuscripts of a Neo-Syriac translation of a Gospel lectionary from the Alqosh area, which are ascribed to a certain deacon Israel the language of these poems does not represent the particular dialect of its single authors, but rather a standardized form in use in northern Iraq. (H. L. Murre-van den Berg).]]

[edit] Modern and to-date Assyrian Music

World War One drove Assyrians out from their mountainous region of Hakkaree (South East Turkey) back into Iraq, and WWII brought them in direct contact with the west especially the British army in Iraq, Russians in Urmia and the French in Syria. But the contact with the British caused the most influence on modern Assyrian Music, especially the period after the independence of Iraq in 1932, which brought British oil companies into Iraq and they employed many by now English speaking Assyrians.

At this time they came in contact with western Music and Instruments. Assyrian youth started picking up and playing these new instruments after seeing and hearing the British playing. Assyrian youths started to find new bands and to play in parties, picnics and other functions for both Assyrians and others.

Edward Yousip (Biba) was the first who released a modern Assyrian Music LP, meaning with a full western instrumental band in 1962, he is considered to be the founder of Modern Assyrian Music. There is however an Evin Aghassi album dated to 1959 but I believe it could actually be a later release. Never the less Evin Aghassi migrated to the US from Persia and he too played a big role in shaping the modern Assyrian Music.

A special mention should be reserved for Gabriel Asaad (1907-1997) west Assyrian, in 1926 he wrote and composed his first song "Othroye Ho Mtoth Elfan L-Metba". He produced a recording with songs "Ho Donho Shemsho" and "Oth Kmo Rom At-'Ayn" in 1933 in Palestine, this was a single record which is unfortunately lost.

In Iraq, the first recording known dates to 1931/ the two gramophone records (78 rpm), one called "Karuzuta d-khasha", were recorded by Hanna Petros (1896-1958). Hanna became later the music director at the conservatory in Baghdad. There were three church hymns and a folklore song with a musical company on the records.

[edit] List of the earliest known-recorded Assyrian Albums

Murassa2 Urshan Daniels 1929 US

Gibriel Yousip Sayad 1934 Baghdad

Yaqub Nona 1958

Oshana Youel Mirza 1959

Albert Ruel Tamaras 1962 Baghdad

Edward Yousip (biba) 1962 Baghdad

Evin Aghassi 1967

Habib Mousa 1968

Ewan Shamdinani 1972

William Daniel: (Assyrian Composer)

William's musical compositions are breathtaking and unparalleled. His melodies are as purely Assyrian as the spring waters of the Assyrian homeland, and his lyrics as a mosaic of Assyrian folkways and traditions.

Among his many musical masterpieces, Shahra has been played by a Soviet symphonic orchestra. His 10" LP record "Hoy Dalileh" which is a new interpretation of an old tune, in addition to several original creations, won the Biblis award in 1970.

William Daniel lived most of his live unappreciated artist. He was hurt deeply, but never waved in his love for his people. In the dedication page of his publication William Daniel's Creations he wrote:

I dedicate this publication to the alter of the glory of a nation that was. Many tears have been shed for its present predicament. The foremost yearning and hope is to return to an age of understanding, educational attainment, and intellectual revitalization. This hope is my only consolation.

[edit] Assyrian Dances

Assyrians are proud people and one thing they master from a young age is dancing, these are few dancing that have survived to-date and you will see them danced in any Assyrian function. No one knows what their names means or who found them, but with some exceptions on few.

Shekhani Dance: It describes the scene depicting the commander of the army returning from a war. Ashur, the second in command has spoken to the army about the victory of their commander. He has given them good tidings, thus the armed forces world then start dancing Shekhani, which then start a well esteemed dance by the Assyrians. Some say the word comes from Bshkhana (getting warm), Assyrians before going on a hunt or battle they would dance on this beat to get warm. Much of the Assyrian original homeland was in snow-peaked mountains of Ashur, Assyria.

Tawlama Dance: The Assyrians of Iran, when they celebrate the wedding of a groom, and at the time when the groom is being shaved while sitting on a chair with the barber standing over him, the best man would shout at the barber and ask him why isn't his razor shaving well, and would give him money to then reply "Yes", best man, now my razor is really shaving well. It is running like fire. The best man shouts "come on boys and girls let us dance Tawlama in front of the groom". Among the oldest Assyrian dances, rarely preformed these days. Due to the decline of new Assyrian songs on this beautiful beat.

The Sword and Shield dance: The Youth of two villages are gathered in one place. Two young men are contesting their strength to lift up a rock, to find out who is stronger. Soon after this contest was over, the two youth would be handed a sword or a dagger and made to dance the sword and shield dance. Each one had to strike the other's armour and flick it away. He who succeeded would be declared the winner.

Beriyo Dance: It can be visualised this way: Girls are sitting on a rag placed on the field near the herd of sheep. After the sheep have been milked, one of the girls says to the others – "Sisters, we are through with milking, so let us call the shepherd to play us the tune of Bereek, meaning Beriyo". This tune of Beriyo was created by Assyrians to coincide with that moment of time when our grownup boys and girls were at the sheep fold to milk the sheep.

Semiramis Dance: As the armed forces of the Assyrian Queen Semiramis, are returning from a War, having conquered their enemies, the commander of the army would arrange a celebration in honour of the victory. In the same palace that the Queen would set up quarters, young men and women would be made ready to dance in her honour the famed dance of Semiramis.

Kheqa: One of the most commonly danced, maybe because it is very simple to dance and also it is the first beat that is played in welcoming the Bride and Groom to the reception Halls, at least in the East Assyrian tradition. Some of these, dancing such as Kheqa also have other sub-styles like 'heavy Kheqa' or 'Normal Kheqa'. Heavy simply means the same dance beat but slower. Another style and interesting move with Kheqa is instead of taking steps forward they would actually step back, so they would be dancing but will be moving back, Kheqa d'Suria, found among Assyrians of Syria.

Belatee:

Chobe: A modern dance found around an arabic-Iraqi folk beat, after many Assyrian singers began singing Arabic-Iraqi Chobe songs, Assyrians had to find a way to dance. Although Arab Iraqis already had a Chobe dance, but Proud Assyrians found their own line dancing on the beat of Chobe.

Shora: A beautiful dramatic Assyrian of Syria Dance. The name means a (Battle!). I find this dance to be among the most interesting and dramatic dancing to watch.

Sas kanee: A Fast and interesting dance found mainly in Nineveh among the Catholic Assyrians of Alqush and surrounding villages.

Six Eight 6/8: A dance of Assyrians of Urmia driven from the beat timing of 6/8, which is also found among the Persians themselves

Among other dances are those western influenced styles such as, Slow dance, waltz…etc

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[edit] References

-The Music of the Sumerians and their immediate successors, the Babylonian and Assyrians. By: Galpin. -Music Pearls of Bet-Nahrin by: Abboud Zeitoune. -A Syrian Awakening, Alqosh and Urmia as Centres of Neo-Syriac Writing. By: H. L. Murre-van den Berg. -Booklet CD-cover of: Journey to the Roots of Flamenco.