Assyrian pop music

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Khigga is the most common dance style associated with Assyrian pop music.

Assyrian pop music or Assyrian folk music (Syriac: ܡܘܣܝܩܝ ܣܦܝܢܘܬܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܬܐ/ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ‎) is the traditional music of the Assyrian, Syriac, Syrian, Chaldean, and Aramean people (see names of Syriac Christians). It claims to be the descendent of the music of their ancient Mesopotamian ancestors that has survived in the liturgical music of the Syriac Churches. It can also be found in traditional middle eastern Makams.

Modern Assyrian pop music are mostly in a minor key, typically in the Phrygian mode, and themes tend to focus on longing, melancholy, strife and love issues. Their beats tend to have a rhythm similar to Jamaican music (see riddim). Instrumentation is mostly arranged with a instrument and electronic drums, though namely in weddings or parties, although many forms of Assyrian pop do use acoustic and orchestral instruments.

History

Tribal and Folkloric Period

Music, is omnipresent in the village scene. A “Musician” is not necessarily a professional, and whoever can sing in any manner is considered a “singer”. Most of the time, music is learned by ear. The villagers lead a hard life, but whenever there is an opportunity, they love to make music or listen to it.

Village music may be categorized, basically, into four groups: Local secular music not related to specific occasions; functional music; religious music; music adopted from other areas.

Here are few types of tribal Assyrian Music that has survived to this day, especially in the Assyrian villages and towns of Northern Iraq, southeast Turkey, northwest Iran and northeast 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.
  • 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 Tamraz 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 earliest British 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 late 16th century.

The Neo-Syriac literature which existed before the arrival of British and 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 duriky; and which can be seen as the equivalent of the Classical Syriac madrase, can usually be traced back to individual authors.[1]

Modern Assyrian Music

World War One, and the resulting Assyrian Genocide, drove many Assyrians out from their mountainous region of Hakkari (South East Turkey) back into the Assyrian regions of northern 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.

In Baghdad, Iraq the earliest known record is by Hanna Patros in 1931 – perhaps two Gramophones (78rpm) with 2 songs on each (church hymns and folk songs). Called “"Karuzuta d-khasha". Hanna Petros (1896–1958). Later became the music director at the conservatory in Baghdad. There were church hymns and folklore songs with a musical company on the records.

Albert Rouel Tamras releases his first records in Baghdad in 1966 on Bashirphone label owned by Jameil Bashir an Assyrian Iraqi oud and Violin Soloist. Singing in the background with Albert are Biba and Sargon Gabriel two Assyrian singers who will later become modern Assyrian singers in the US. Gabriel Asaad (1907–1997) in 1926 wrote and composed his first song "Othroye Ho Mtoth Elfan L-Metba".

The ethnically Assyrian and Armenian metal band Melechesh incorporates extensive Assyrian-Mesopotamian influences both lyrically and instrumentally in their music.

Assyrian Dances

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Main article: Assyrian folk dance

Some of the notable Assyrian dances include:

  • Khigga: Which is a circle dance and is 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 Khigga also have other sub-styles like 'heavy Khegga' or 'Normal Khegga'. Heavy simply means the same dance beat but slower. Another style and interesting move with Khigga is instead of taking steps forward they would actually step back, so they would be dancing but will be moving back, Khegga d'Suria, found among Assyrians of Syria.
  • Shekhani: 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 Assyrian. 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.
  • Gubare: Energetic, lively dance that has a fast dance beat. Common at the end of a party or wedding.
  • The Sword and Shield dance: A man would hold a sword and, at times, a shield, and dance around with it in stylistic manner. He would be usually wearing Assyrian clothing.
  • Chobi: A modern dance found around an Arabic-Iraqi folk beat.

List of Assyrian singers

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See also

Sources

  1. ↑ H. L. Murre-van den Berg
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