Evin Agassi
Date: October 4, 2024
Evin Agassi was born on September 25, 1945 in Kermanshah, Iran. Agassi found his passion for singing at a young age. As a teenager, he got involved with the Iranian National Radio where he trained in the music department and recorded several records in Assyrian and Persian.
Agassi attracted attention as he started collaborating with many well-known Iranian poets and composers and produced popular songs that aired on radio and television. He sold over 300,000 albums in that time alone.
In 1976, Agassi was invited to perform in the United States and toured across Detroit, Illinois, California, New York, and Connecticut. It was at this time, his music began to shift to address social and political issues with themes of freedom and equality. It’s important to note that Iran was under Reza Shah’s authority who restricted the freedom of expression, press, and other basic human rights. As the Shah intensified censorship, Agassi’s music, inspired by his travels in the U.S., was banned in Iran. His songs were also blacklisted in Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s regime, as their political themes conflicted with Ba’athist Iraq. Assyrians in Iraq and Syria often obtained his recordings and duplicated and dispersed them to each other in secret.
The constant censorship pushed Agassi to leave Iran and the Middle East leading him to settle in the United States, where he continued writing songs about social and political freedom—something he felt he could finally experience.
In the 80s and onward, Agassi sang more than 200 songs with various messages of love, hope, and the Assyrian nation. Since 1982, Evin Agassi’s lyrics have been written by his brother and renowned Assyrian poet Giwargis Aghassi.
Evin Agassi’s passion for music is reflected in his accomplished discography of 35 albums and a total of 270 Assyrian songs, spanning from the 1970s to 2005.
Three of his most popular albums are “Khazadeh” (1983), translated as “The Harvesters” in English; “Dargushta d’ Marduta” (1982), translated as “Cradle of Civilization”; and “Mometa d’Ata” (1987), translated as “Oath to the Flag.”
Some of his most famous songs include “Awara” (1967), “Shamiram” (1980), “Habbania” (1984), “Soodra Preta” (1984), “Atrad Qodme” (1985), “Sniqa” (1985), “Jnaha d-Mani” (1987), “Oorzeh” (1990), “Khabur” (1991), and “Bot Diakh” (1995).
Assyrians all over the world looked forward to his concerts. He was welcomed by Assyrians from England, Germany, France, Austria, Australia, Holland, Russia, Syria, Iran, northern Iraq, and across the U.S. and Canada. Agassi’s concerts were not only popular for his powerful voice and moving lyrics but also for the cultural and historical significance they carried. Through his music, he preserved the Assyrian language and the spirit of the community, which continues to resonate with both older and younger generations.
In July 2024, the Agassi family shared that Evin Agassi was diagnosed with an inoperable malignant tumor in the left frontal lobe of his brain. On September 17th, Agassi peacefully passed away at the age of 78.
Evin Agassi’s contributions to Assyrian music and culture have left an indelible mark on the community. His vast body of work—42 albums and 270 songs—captured the essence of Assyrian identity and resilience. The Assyrian Cultural Foundation offers condolences to the Agassi family and honors the memory of a man whose musical passion kept the spirit of the Assyrian nation alive.
Bibliography
“Evin Agassi.” Qeenatha.Com, Qeenatha, www.qeenatha.com/artists/EvinAgassi/26/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Wilgenburg, Wladimir Van. “Renowned Assyrian Singer Evin Agassi Passes Away.” Kurdistanchronicle.Com, Kurdistan Chronicle, 18 Sept. 2024, kurdistanchronicle.com/babat/3360.
Zeitoune, Abboud. Modern Assyrian Music. Abboud Zeitoune, 2015.
Zeitoune, Abboud. Music Heritage of Mesopotamia. Assyrischer Jugendverband Mitteleuropa e.V, 2016.
Zeitoune, Abboud. Music Pearls of Beth-Nahrin: An Assyrian / Syriac Discography. Assyrische Demokratische Organisation, 2007
