Gabriel Asaad

Gabriel Asaad (Syriac: ܓܒܪܐܝܠ ܐܣܥܕ) (March 18, 1907 – July 6, 1997), also spelled Gabriel Assad, was an Assyrian composer, musician and nationalist. Born in Midyat to a Syriac Orthodox family, his family moved to Adana before the Assyrian genocide, where he studied languages at the Taw Mim Semkath orphanage. His experience at the orphanage would later inspire him to pursue a career in music, which had never been pursued in his family before.

Inspired by Assyrian nationalistic activities, which he began in Syria, Asaad is considered a pioneer in modern Assyrian folk-pop music. In the 1920s, he composed the first song in Surayt (Turoyo), and from then on, he would travel across West Asia performing music. In Syria, he continued his activities as the musical director of a cultural center in Qamishli, where he would teach and play with other rising musicians.

Asaad moved to Sweden in 1979, and lived there until his death in 1997. Today, he is retrospectively regarded as a master in Assyrian music and a popular hero among Western Assyrians and musicians.

Early life Asaad was born in Midyat in the Ottoman Empire on March 18, 1907, to a Syriac Orthodox family. His surname was derived from his father, while his "official" surname was "Some". For work reasons, in 1914, his family moved to Adana in Cilicia, and Asaad was enrolled at the Taw Mim Semkath orphanage school. and then settled in the Syrian capital of Damascus in 1921.

In Syria, Asaad's father worked as a merchant. Though he aspired a musical education, work as a musician was frowned upon among the Syriac Orthodox at the time. Although nobody had ever pursued music in his family before, his parents did not object to his wishes of becoming a musician. The song is considered to be the first song ever composed in Surayt. Between 1931 and 1936, he lived in Mandatory Palestine, composing and performing more music, including two pieces commemorating the Simele massacre (Sohde Othur, ). 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. During this timeframe, Asaad was also giving musical lessons to younger Assyrian musicians such as Gabi Shimun, Joseph Malke, and Fuad Ispir. Originally, Asaad was considered to compose poems by Danho Dahho such as "Shamo mar" , but rejected the composition since he mostly composed songs in Classical Syriac and preferred to compose serious, nationalistic songs. The song would eventually be given to Habib Mousa and recorded in August 1968. Other songs that Asaad worked on include "Ho Donho Shemsho" , "Motho rḥimto nisho dil" , "Monaw kuoro" and "Moth Beth-Nahrin" . He published a book titled "The Syrian Music Throughout History" , He moved to Sweden in 1979 where he would stay for the rest of his life,

Legacy Asaad, like other Assyrian nationalists such as Naum Faiq, regarded music and poetry as being a means of uniting people. 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. He is remembered as a pioneer and as the leading composer for West Assyrian music during the 1930s and 40s. Asaad's music also created a backbone for identity among Assyrians in Sweden as associations began building up activities. 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.

Asaad's compositions have since been documented by his son Sardanapal, and his compositions have become a standard among Assyrians today. His legacy was additionally carried on by other musicians in the Western Assyrian community, including Iskandar and Mousa.