I’m pleased to announce the upcoming release for my track “Song of the Soul,” (click on the preview above to listen) which is inspired by my love for our indigenous #Assyrian music. You remember the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians you may have read about in middle school? Yup, we’re still here and still speak our 4500 year old language. Being a very old group of people and, in modern day, coming from one of first Christian churches in the world, we go by many names including #Chaldean, Assyrian, Suryoye, Syriacs, Siryani and Aramean, but we all speak the same language, dance the same dances, make the same cultural dishes and pray to the same Jesus. We don’t have a country, but are working on unifying as a people and gaining global awareness so that maybe that vision can also materialize.

This track is a deep tribute to the beautiful expression that is called Raweh, the Song of the Soul, honoring the generations of #ancestors who sung in this manner and sharing our #indigenous existence with the world. 

Raweh is a rare form of chanting and storytelling sung in northern Assyria (Modern day Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran.) You may hear some similarities in other forms of #indigenous chanting, such as the Native Americans. There are stories that there is a connection between the Assyrians and Native Americans such as Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe when they discovered an Assyrian cuneiform tablet in their family relics. 

I would love to hear how you connect with this track and if you’ve ever heard of the Assyrian/Chaldean people. 

Thank you for your overflowing love and support in so many ways over the years.

You are a constant reminder of how wonderful this world is and how blessed I am to be connected with all of you. 

Peace and blessings 

Shamash