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Commentary

Last Modified 7/4/96

JULIANA JENDO

ALLAP BEET

In my opinion, the most important Assyrian song available to the Assyrian community. Childish to some who already know the language well, imperative and valuable to those who don't or those who want to expound on or reinforce their vocabulary. Plus, the song has an addictive tempo. If you've been struggling to know your "atwat'e", you will succeed with ease in one to three days with this song. The ABC's do not really mean anything to a student unless you learn how they are used. The letter "A" is meaningless unless you associate it with few examples such as "A" is for apple, "B" is for boy and so on. These results are the most important aspect of this song. Knowing "Allap" is for Alaha, the rest of the spelling, almost intuitively, falls into place. You're vocabulary will also shoot through the roof. GET THE VIDEO!!! Juliana and John Homeh did an exemplary job. If you have children, little cousins,or nephews and nieces, it is a must have. If not you will enjoy the video yourself and have a fine piece of Assyrian work(wo)manship added to your collection.

Album: The flowers of Assyria ***1/2

WERD'E DEESH'E

Haunting and full of melancholy, a story of love gone sour. Her best album!! It is a must have.

Album: Werd'e Deesh'e ****

LINDA GEORGE

MALIKTA SHAMIRAN

Queen Shamiran (Sameeramis), as legend puts it, never died. She transformed into a dove to fly the world for thousands of years only to return as the dove(spirit) to lead the people of Assyria back to their homeland. Peter incorporates this legend into this powerful and provocative song that invigorates any "oomptinaya". The queen's name consists of two words, "Shimi-rama" (my name is high).
Shima=name
Shimee=my name
rama=high
(Thanks Pauline and Peter Jasim).

Album: in Black and White ***1/2

HALLELUJAH

An utterly beautiful religious melody that is still sung in churches today. Anyone whoever doubted Linda's voice will seal their lips when they here this ancient song written in original Aramaic. I have to get a gasha (priest) to translate rest of the words I can't figure out. Just this song makes the CD worth purchasing for the clarity. The album contains Christmas songs in Assyrian.

Album: Christmas Album ***

KEY BUYENEH / KEY BUYENAH

A bouncy humorous song that starts off with a woman and a suitor declaring their love for each other to her parents. They object. It gets more interesting as the arguments go on and in the end, the parents decide to 'why don't we start a wedding'. Adorable. This song is verrry long win will take some time to do. Sorry.

Album: Melodies from North of my country (vol 3). ****

YALIKHTA KHWARTA

A combination of Yalikhta, Shaykhanee, and Bagee ye. Electrifying! You'll be listening to it over and over.

Album: Khoot Golponeh D'malakha ***1/2

ACHARA

Another dazzling song from the same album about a farmer spreading the seeds of life to feed the hungry.

Album: Khoot Golponeh D'malakha ***1/2

EVIN AGHASSI

ALOOLA

Assyrian polka with a melancholy twist.

Album: The Bride (I think) ***1/2

CHALOO

An Aghassi classic. Played at weddings to introduce the bride when she comes through the door of the banquet.

Album: The Bride (I think) ***1/2

SANAM (idol)

One of his best, a song of a woman worth more than DAWA (gold) and SEEMA (silver). The mysterious and haunting tempo adds a lot of eroticism to the song. One of his best albums. It is a must have.

Album: Malekta (Queen) ???? ****

KHAZD'E (cultivate)

The WORLD'S GREATEST, most admired, and respected Assyrian singer. Held in adulation by ALL Assyrians, Evin makes his mark with this song. This is the most popular Assyrian song ever composed. If played at a party or wedding, people stop dancing and stand to pay homage for all Assyrians around the world, living, past, or mayrtered. A psuedo-national anthom, if you will. Again, one of his best albums and a must have. Alaha nadir'e Evin.

Album: ???? ****

AN APPEAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS

A song that has been translated and distributed to all of the United Nation members. The deception by the British for a proclamation mandate for the creation of an Assyrian state caused the death of 1,600,000 Assyrian (2/3 of our population) lives by massacres from the Turkish, Arab, and Kurdish populous. After World War One, the Assyrians ("The Smallest Ally" as the British called us) suffered great casualties and a started a mass exodus to countries around the world (especially between the years 1919 and 1923.) The burden of blame falls upon the shoulders of the British (as if they don't have enough blood on their hands) for pulling the rug on the mandate, guaranteeing an Assyrian State and having us fall before the Muslim sword. This was due to the fact that oil was recently discovered in that area, and they knew that they would not have complete access to that oil if Assyrians controlled the area. Knowing that it would be easier to control the arabs, the deception commenced. Evin's song, "HABANIA" puts it bluntly, "For that black blood, what red blood was poured". Indelible as our blood is on British hands, it is also shared with the perpetrators of the massacres. The same perpetrators of the attempted genocide of 1,100,000 (70,000 of which were Assyrian) of our Christian brothers, the Armenians, in Eastern Turkey. The suffrage of the Armenians is not well acknowledged by most of the world and ours in completely ignored. Our persecution still continues. It is one of the only areas in the world where a first class population is treated as second class citizens by third class people. Disbursed throughout the world, Assyrians current enemy is assimilation. Gratified that we can live in such a beautiful country, a great burden is placed on EACH individual to maintain the culture and our most significant triumph is to keep the our ancient language, Aramaic, alive. We have survived 100 generations, but it only takes one to lose our identity. With that as the largest hurdle, the rest is easy.

His best album. Another must have.
* Comments are expressly the opinion of Robert Oshana and not necessarily the views of Assyrians in general.

Album: United Nations****

ASHUR BET SARGIS

YAWINAKH KHAYEE

Ashur's best song! On of the most famous and beautiful Assyrian songs. "I will give you my life to extend yours", loses in the translation and is trivialized compared with the deep and sentimental gesture in it's native tongue. A timeless classic.

Album: Songs of Ancient Assyria. ****

JANAN SAWA

KHAZDAN'E

What can I say. A kick butt song about working hard in the field.

Album: Shara D'ninwahyeh **1/2

ROBERT BET SAYAD

KHAYED YIMA (The life of mother)

Metaphoricly speaking, in Assyrian, we sometimes replace "country" (atra) with "mother" (yima). In this song, he sings about our fallen country and if we don't come to it's aid, it shall die. And if we decide not to come, who shall? Deep and sentimental to all who've heard this song.

Album: Yima??***1/2

LABALTA D CHALOO

A magistical song that sets you in the middle of a wedding back home and how we did it in the old days. A beautiful song. Descripions include how a whole village waits for the groom to arrive on a horse.

Album: Yima??***1/2

BETAN (Our house)

Nostalgia at its best. Robert captures the hearts of people listening to this song of how life was simple yet meaningful back home. Memories strike the chord of any Assyrian. A house made of mud and stone built by the fathers and the smell of fresh bread coming from the mother's oven. A yearing overcomes the listener to go back those many years ago (and this is coming from someone born in Chicago).

GEORGE CHAHARBAKHSHI

BEDYALDA (Birthday)

A cool birthday song.

Album: Khoobet Atur**1/2

GIBRIAL SAYAD

NISHRET KHOOM'E (Eagle of Khoom'e)

If you downloaded this song, have ANYONE over 40 listen to it, or sing the first few bars. Watch their reaction. They shall ALL know this song and continue singing it with all of their heart. The first recordings of Assyrian music were from Gibrial. Songs of oomptinaya (patriatic) were and still are forbidin in Iraq and Iran. Persecution and sometimes death followed. Gibrial sought refuge in the United States after the recordings. They were finally made available to the Assyrian public. Athough the recordings are not of extreme quality (obviously, it was 1935), the lack of clarity adds much character to the songs. Simple to many who compare to today's standard, but very significant back then. You will grow to admire and respect this song. It is one of the most important ?? foundations of our art and culture in historical perspective.

DERDEE (My suffering)

Album: Gibrial Sayad***1/2