Echeos of Syria

Ibrahim Keivo the beholder of the ancient Syrian musical heritage. Ibrahim Keivo's singing illustrates perfectly the amazing multi-ethnicity of the Jezireh. This region of the Syrian Mesopotamia where Arabs, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Kurds, Syriacs and Armenians live side by side and share their songs and music is one of the great cradles of civilization. Ibrahim Keivo comes from an Armenian family who escaped genocide. From a very early age he learned to play the lutes of the region: buzuq, saz, baghlama, oud and jumbush. With his astounding knowledge of languages – he is equally at ease in Botani and Kurmandji Kurdish, Armenian, Assyrian, Turkish and the various Arabic dialects of the region – Ibrahim Keivo travels through the villages of Jezireh to collect a vast repertoire of songs from the elders: lullabies, dance songs, love songs, epic songs, and religious songs that he performs with remarkable attention to the style specific to each of the cultures. Keivo has participated in numerous festivals receiving prestigious awards.



Kinan Azmeh: Clarinet, Composer. Hailed as a “virtuoso” by the New York Times and "Incredibly Rich sound" by the CBC, Kinan Azmeh is one of Syria’s rising stars. His utterly distinctive sound across different musical genres is now fast gaining international recognition.