Dr. Abrohom Lahdo was born on April 2nd, 1949 in Kamishli-Syria and studied at the Syriac school. During the period of studies he learned Syriac from Malfono Abdul Masih Qarabashi and played accordion with St. Ephraim’s Choir in Kamishli.

In 1967 Abrohom Lahdo composed his first folk songs “Loch Balhudoch”, “Bgau Kamishli” and “Habibath Haye”. During this period, Abrohom Lahdo, Paul Mikhael, Joseph Malki and George Chachan worked together to write lyrics and compose new Syriac folk songs. This combined effort was accomplished by the meeting with Nouri Iskandar
in 1969.

During the years 1968-1986 Abrohom Lahdo was studying medicine both in Aleppo and Germany where he completed his specialization in internal medicine. Beside his studies he was active member and leader of many associations.

Furthermore Dr. Abrohom Lahdo published two books. The first in 1988 called “Syriac forenames” (Shmohe Suryoye), and the second in 1994 called “List of Assyro-Babylonian kings and patriarchs”.

In 1995 Dr. Abrohom Lahdo founded “St. Ephraim’s choir” in Wiesbaden-Germany who released a cassette with church songs of the Passion Week (Gudo dHasho). In 1997 his choir released CD and cassette with church songs (rhythms in the Syrian church) and in 2002 another CD about musical scales in the Syrian church with Habib Moussa, Kamil Hanna, Linda Hadiko and Babylonia. Under the direction of Dr. Abrohom Lahdo, St. Ephraim´s choir presented six concerts of church and folk Songs between 1997-2002.

Dr. Abrohom Lahdo held several lectures on different topics about Syriac medicine, music and history. Moreover his production by writing and composing amounts to some 70 Syriac folk songs.

Chabo Bahé: 1927 – 2012

Malfono Chabo Bahé was born in Medyat 1927. His family moved to Ras El Ain–Syria after his birth. He studied Syriac, Arabic, English, and French at the Syriac school in that area. Because of his love for the Syriac language, and in order to spread it widely, he wrote his lyrics with the spoken Syriac to become the launcher of this form of lyrics.

Chabo Bahé wrote his first lyric “O Barsawmo” in 1962. Later on, he wrote “Safro Msafro Bsafrayto”, “Hes Hes” and “Tekh Tekh Laf Harké”. These lyrics became songs, recorded with a basic recorder, and spread quickly in Kamishli-Syria. The young generation loved them while the older generation didn’t accept them because of the Syriac language, according to them, is a holey language.

Chabo Bahé’s lyrics sang and recorded professionally for the first time in 1967 at the studio of The National Orchestra of Aleppo who played “Hema w Haye” and “Deqlé o Noqousho” (singer Artin Fistaqji). His production of Syriac’s song was abundant. He was an important source of lyrics for Nouri Iskandar and Habib Mousa. Shabo Bahé wrote ”Koukwo Dsafro”, “Shlomé Slomé”, Zligé Frisi” and others.

Chabo Bahé and others established in 1971 the “Religious Educational Center-Aleppo” and made its regulations. This center aimed to preserve the Syriac culture and language. Shabo Bahé was responsible for teaching the Syriac language. Besides his writings, Chabo Bahé is an effective administrator in many of the Syriac organizations both at homeland and in Sweden. In 1987 Shabo Bahé immigrated to Sweden. In 1990 he participated in a big amount of songs at Nouri Iskandar’s festival in Sweden.

Chabo Bahé wrote nearly 100 lyrics to more or less all the Syriac singers. Chabo Bahé passed out 2012. 

Elias Zazi was born in Beirut 1964, theorist in music, composer, teacher of music and music critic to a daily newspaper in Södertälje-Sweden.

Elias began his hobby as a disc jockey in 1981 and two years later he wan the competition “Stockholm’s best DJ 1983-1984” that was arranged by the in-spot place called Studion in St. Eriksplan in Stockholm.

In 1985 his interest of Oriental music awaked. Elias Zazi who rose in the sixties in Lebanon had already acquainted to the Arabic music and the Syriac Orthodox Church music. At the beginning of the eighties he began his studies of music and its bases, and in 1995-1996 he composed “The Dream sonata” the first Syriac musical operate in two acts which played on the stage of Estrad-Södertälje in May 1996.

After the Dream sonata Elias began his studies of the western music. He studied the western music’s theories, harmony and contra-point and more, and wrote many peaces of western music and a Cantata, a choir’s multiple-voices songs with a chamber music orchestra. Moreover he composed some Syriac song, which represented in different Syriac occasions. From his works we may mention the half-hour’s musical program, which opened the congress of the “Democratic Social Party” which took place in Södertälje year 2000. Elias’ latest production, “String Quartet in E minor”, was performed on the stage of Estrad in Södertälje in November 2003 and was very appreciated by the audience and the critics who considered it the best of Zazi’s works in the form of western music.

Elias Zazi, who works as a Laboratory Engineer at AstraZeneca in Södertälje-Sweden, has many other interests next to music. Besides writing in the local newspaper he wrote a history book about the Assyrian/Syrian people. This book was requested by the municipality of Södertälje in 1997.

In Elias Zazi’s music you feel the combination of the eastern and the western style. He is highly inspired of the Lebanese music of the Rahbani brothers, the Syriac orthodox church music and the western chamber music that have been composed of the romantic-period’s composers.

Composed Work

1- Allegro
2- Andante
3- Scherzo
4- Largo
5- Rondo
6- Ema Safroune
7- Fetna

Gabi Chamoun was born in Kamishli in May 1954. His first contact with his instrument Oud was at the age of 16 when he saw the oud player Fouad Dawoud playing. His first oud consisted of an oil-can with electricity cable as strings. He lived with his own handmade oud until he could borrow real oud to learn playing.

He began reaching for recordings of classical oriental music and found them at Georges Chachan who had a rich archive of samaiiys, mowashahat, basharif and others. The different types of classical oriental music enriched Chamoun’s repertoires and gave him good knowledge in the world of maqams (the oriental scales). This was the beginning of a profound cooperation with the composer Georges Chachan.

He acquainted the Syriac music from the Syriac Orthodox Church and from listening to Malfono Farid Yossif and Malfonitho Evelin Dawoud as well as the music of the pioneer composer Malfono Gabriel Asaad. Gabi Chamoun’s first Oud recording was just with Malfono Asaad in his song ”Weyli mi hlithathe, mahrashlaly” (1973-74) which recorded directly after its composition.

His love toward the Syriac song encouraged him to study music, and he travelled to Istanbul where he was the only foreign student who is studying music there. He studied musicology at “Türk Musýkisi Devlet Konservatuarý” (the Turkish musical higher institute) between 1975-1979. His studies consisted of oriental musical theories with detailed and deep studies of the maqams, oriental rythms, solfége, a wide oriental repertoire and western musical theory. Oud was his major instrument and Tanbur was his minor one. Thus Gabi Chamoun became one of few people among our musicians with a well-built academic background. During the passed years he presented many concerts in oriental classical music.

When he finished his musical studies in Istanbul he went back to Syria where he worked as music teacher in different schools. At the beginning of the 1990s he taught at the newly established musical institute in Qamishly for a period of three years. Thereafter he traveled to Bremen in Germany where he lives now a day. In this northern German city he cooperated with many orchestras of different nationalities (Turkish, Iranian and Armenian) as well as with one of the largest choirs of Bremen.

In Germany he composed an album sang by Michel Gaddo. The CD consists of eight songs with lyrics from different writers. The common characteristic of the most of the songs is the typical Syriac style which is derived from the Syriac Orthodox Church and the folk music of Tur Abdin.

Gabi Chamoun is very anxious to preserve the Syriac music treasures which are protected between the walls of the church. He works on maintaining this music and present it to the public in a form of folk songs.

Composed Work
– Houbo Rabo
– Britho A´li
– Lo Ta´ino
– Rqadou

Malfono Gabriel Asaad (1907-1997)
The launchers of the modern Syriac music and the founders of its renaissance at the beginning of the past century. He was born in Midiat, Tourabdin (south east of Turkey) on March 18th, 1907. He moved with his family to Adana-Turkey in 1914 where he studied languages and thereafter moved to Damascus-Syria at the end of 1921. He received his first lesson in music in 1924. The Syriac church music was his source of inspiration.

In Tripoli-Lebanon 1926 he wrote and composed his first national song ”Othouroyo ho mtoth” followed by a long series of national songs like ”Motho dilan” and “Taw Nethkanash” in 1928, ”Shifouro” in 1931, ”Ho donho Shemsho” in 1933 and others. He was famous for his fascinating way of praying “Takheshfotho” (supplications).

The occidental style dominated his oriental works that created a charming exotic form of Syriac music.

Between 1931-1936 Malfono Gabriel Asaad lived in Palestine. There he played music with that time’s famous Arab artists like Amin Hasanen, Zaki Mourad (the father of Laila Mourad), Mary Joubran, and others. During this period of time, he recorded his first SP which consisted of two national songs. Between 1937-1975 Malfono Gabriel Asaad and his family lived in Kamishli-Syria. 1945 he composed “Monaw Kouworo Drabou” (Lyrics of deceased Yahanon Salman).

1953 in Aleppo-Syria Malfono Gabriel Asaad released his first Syriac musical book “Mén Mousiqi dilan hdatho” (from our modern music). This book contained a collection of his musical works with their musical notes (23 songs).

In Kamishli 1957, he founded his private school of music, and one-year later was appointed to be the teacher of music at the Cultural Centre in Kamishli which, survived until 1967. During this period he formed the foundation of music to many musicians and composers like Fr. Georges Chachan, Joseph Malki, Dr. Muhammad Aziz, Moshe Makhlouf, Elias Dawoud, and others.

Malfono Gabriel Asaad moved to Stockholm, Sweden in 1979 and until his death on July 6th 1997. Before that he released another book “Al mousiqa al souria ibra al tarikh” (The Syrian Music Throughout History) in 1990. He composed his last song “Ema Ghozena Shlomo” in 1984 with the spoken syriac “Turoyo”. Besides his own lyrics and songs, Malfono Gabriel Asaad wrote music for works of the greater Syriac writers like H.E. the late Mor Youhanon Dolabani, Malfono Fawlos Gabriel, Malfono Yohanon Salman, and others.

Malfono Gabriel Asaad translated many historical events of the Syriac people into musical works, which are still in use today.

Composed Work

• Sawka gdomé lo shiro

George Shamoun is the Syriac folk song’s motor of production. In thirty years of production, he wrote more than 200-recorded songs. George Shamoun was born in Kamishli in 1945 and studied at the Syriac schools up to the high school grade. He studied Syriac at Malfono Abdel Masih Qarabashi and Malfono/father Saliba Issa. Georges Shamoun is the nephew of the Syriac writer Danho Dahho.

His passionate interest in writing appeared for the first time when he listened to “Shamo mar” from a car-stereo summer 1969 in Kamishli. The idea began with a translation of feelings to words and he proved that he is a talented young man. In 1970 he wrote a bouquet of songs that Georges Chachan composed and deceased Galil Maiilo sang. Some of these songs were “Ko Bokhé Lebi”, “Mzabanla Houbo Dlebo”, “Halyo yo o yawmano”, “Qmi madrasho rhimoli” and others.

In 1979 George Chamoun left Kamishli to Germany and thereafter toward Sweden in 1981. Since that time he lives with his family in Södertälje Sweden. George Shamoun wrote every genre of lyrics. His writings vary from romantics to folklore and children. He wrote two series of children songs and cooperated with almost every Syriac singer and composer. Since 1974 it is difficult to find a cassette, LP, or CD which doesn’t include one song or more of George Shamoun’s lyrics. George Shamoun is known for his aid to the young generation’s singers.

Of his own lyrics, George Shamoun is proud of “Hano Qritho” (sang by Ninib Lahdo), “Hawli Idekh dezzano” (sang by Habib Mousa), “Mzabanla Houbo dLebo” (sang by Galil Maiilo) and “Taté taté” (children song). Of the production of other writers he likes Ninos Ahho´s poem “Gerkeshamo”.

George Shamoun´s contribution in the field of Syriac folk song is very huge in quantity and very high of quality. He filled the emptiness that was occupying the field of Syriac folk song and converted it to a developed one. George Shamoun hopes to produce Syriac’s operates, and lyrical.

Father Georges Chachan: 1950 – 2021

Father Georges Chachan was born in Kamishli 1950. He studied the occidental music at Mr. Hassan El Tourk and the oriental music at deceased Malfono Gabriel Assad.

During a wedding feast in Kamishli in 1963, a man with a wineglass full of money on his head came to Georges Chachan and Joseph Malki who were playing music in the feast and said: “If you sing a syriac folksong for me you’ll get this wineglass with the money”. Chachan and Malki were astonished and couldn’t play other than Gabriel Asaad’s “Motho rhimto nisho dil”. After a while the same man came with another wineglass full with money asking them to sing another song, but unfortunately there wasn’t any other Syriac folksong at that time. This event pushed Chachan forward to create with others a Syriac folksong.

In 1968 he began his musical studies at the higher institute of music at the University of Damascus and was graduated with B.A degree in music in 1971. Chachan worked as music teacher for a period of 25 years in Kamishli. As a teacher of music he could plant interest to Syriac music in the hearts of the young generation that was studying in Kamishli at that time.

In 1969, when he was still student, Chachan composed seven songs that constituted his first cassette sang by the later priest Galil Maiilo. At that time there were neither studios nor musicians in Kamishli to record new songs, so Chachan decided to record the new songs at Hanna Mesheké’s (Hadodo) house, which has a location in a forest in Kamishli, Almost all recordings of that period took place. With the recording of a new song Chachan was obliged to teach a new person playing an instrument in order to help with the recording.

Chachan lived in a poor society; he lived together with his family in a two-rooms house. To be able to concentrate on the composition of music, he used together with Georges Shamoun to tend a noisy stove in order to isolate them from the outer world. Georges Chachan gave all his work without being able to obtain his own musical instrument.

Many of his songs are still used today. ”Bayto shafiro laytli”, “Blilyo imomo”, “Boyawmo dade’no lekh” and “Lman izal églé” are some of his most known songs. Chachan composed many folksongs for choirs. He used the form of the “Andalusian Mowashah” which is a long song that depends on the performance of rhythm according to the syllables and the stresses of the text. This kind of songs has not been repeated since that time because of lack composers who have this knowledge and choirs that are capable to sing such songs.

In 1975 Chachan established a musical band called the “Izla Group” which performed many of his and other composers’ works, even his two last cassettes in 1989, which one of them sang by Elias Karam and the other by Semaan Zakaria. Among the singers who sang Chachan’s melodies are deceased father Galil Maiilo, Naiim Moussa, Farid Youssef, Joseph Afram and Jean Karat.

In 1993 he notated the Beth Gazo “Treasury of Chants of the Syriac Church” according to the school of Turabin, and in 1995 Georges Chachan established the Edessian art foundation in Kamishli. This foundation gathered all the artists in that town in order to preserve and to develop the Syriac cultural works.

Father Georges Chachan is married to Siham Youssef and has three children Ludwig, Verdi and Mariham. In 1997 he became a priest for the Syriac Orthodox Church in Norsborg-Sweden and now on he is active in the field of church music. Fr George lämnade jorden 2021. 

Joseph Malki was born in Kamishli 1948. He studied music with the Syriac Scout band where he played Saxophone. His professional musical skills appeared when he played oriental accordion with the musical orchestra of the radio station of Damascus in the 1968.

He composed his first Syriac song “Rhimto dleb warde mzabno” in Kamishli 1965 followed by “T´het Lamfido” and the famous Syriac song and at that time “Grishla idi” (sang by Wadih El Safi) 1969.

Josef Malke studied the film arts in Spain at the beginning of the seventies. He moved to Sweden with the first emigrant groups at that time. In Sweden he was the first Syriac professional composer. In 1975 he composed twelve songs in a cassette form sang by Boutros and Simon Hadrouli and Lena Haffo. This cassette included ”Men bethnahrin Athyono”, “Kthewli Eshmekh” and others. In 1977 he released the first professional Syriac LP ”Azzen Azzen”, sang by Ninib Ablahhad Lahdo. Moreover he released two complete children songs’ cassettes.

Malki´s contribution in the field of the Syriac music sustained continuously from the early sunrise of the folk songs hitherto. Josef Malki’s touch is very distinguished. His glamorous ancient oriental feeling gives his melodies a special taste. Joseph Malki’s production is uncountable. Almost all the singers in Sweden sang one or more of Josef Malki´s melodies.

Some of his famous songs “Tekh Hawro dhoulme” (sang by Fouad Espear), “Rhimto dlebi”, “Tokhou Tokhou Habibé” (sang by Nininb Lahdo), “Izen loshahro” (sang by Yakoub Malke), “Krohmallokh habib” and “Ishtar oTamouz” (sang by Jouliana Jendo). For children he composed ”Taté Taté”, “Adyoma Rish dShato”, ”Dodo Dilan” and many others.

Composed Work

• Elaymoutho w
• Houbo
• Koukwo Dsafro
• Lebi Kriho yo
• Lo Tehfoukh
• O Habibo
• Shamo mar
• Shlomé
• Solo violin with string quintet
• Zliqé Frisi

Nouri Iskandar was born in Aleppo 1938. He studied at the higher institute of music at the University of Cairo and was graduated with B.A degree in music.

He worked with composing Syriac folk music since the early sixties where he composed the most famous Syriac folk songs like “O habibo habibo”, “Zliqe frsi”, “Lo tehfokh” and others.

In 1973 Nouri Iskandar presented the first professional Syriac musical festival at the Auditorium of the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, when he presented the Syriac folk music in a very modern and cultural manner.

Nouri Iskandar composed large number of Syriac folk songs. His most famous work is “Parqana” (Salvation) a Syriac operate, ”Solo violin with string quintet” and ”Solo oud with string trio” beside tens of film music.

Of his famous works, the Castle of Aleppo´s concert in 1997, he represented the Syrian Arab folklore songs proving that their original source is the Syriac church hymns.

With respect to church music he notated “Beth Gazo” (The Treasury of Chants) of the Syriac church, according to the Edessian school of rhythms. This work is unique in the documentation of church music. Beside this Nouri Iskandar made tens of professional concerts both in Syria and in Europe.

Nouri Iskandar is currently the director of the Conservatory of Music in Aleppo, the city of his permanent residency.

The singer and composer Sardanapal Asaad was born in Kamishli-Syria and grew in a musical atmosphere where his father Malfono Gabriel Asaad used to play violin and teach music. Malfono Gabriel Asaad encouraged Sardanapal on fine arts.

Sardanapal studied at the Syriac school in Kamishli where he learned the church music. Sardanapal was eleven years old when he sang for the first time in front of his teacher and his classmates, who encouraged him to keep going on. That gave him the courage to demonstrate his talent in various occasions and places like at Sunday school, the scouts and especially at the stage of Saint Jacob brotherhood’s club in Kamishli.

Sardanapal studied music at his father Malfono Gabriel Asaad, and taught music at many Syriac schools. At the end of 1972 he began singing and acting drama together with Georges Faraj, Samir Said and others.

Sardanapal composes his own songs. He released his first album “Zmirotho Suryoyotho” in 1983. Music played by musicians from the Swedish Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with the special oriental feelings of Joseph Malki on lute and accordion.

Sardanapal Asaad’s second album was in 1987 “Noshé Marouleh”. This album was a pure classical oriental songs. His third release was in 1988 “Zmirotho Dshabre” a cassette for children. Moreover Sardanapal composed a musical epos in 1981 called “Men Tesh´itho D´Amo”, “Emigration and Peace” (lyrics by Sanharib Sado).

Beside his musical works Sardanapal is a professional painter. He paints at his residence in Stockholm. Hitherto Sardanapal has about 120 paintings.