David Esha

In Babylon where I first saw him. He stood under the shade of old palm trees, near his band, and held his guitar tightly. Next to him were a handful of Iraqi Policemen, monitoring him and the thousands of Assyrians who formed a circle around him. He sang "Atree Khelya Bet Nahrain (My Beloved Land Bet Nahrain) near the scattered ruins of Babylon on that hot dry day in the summer of 1972.

This was what I knew of David Esha. A man dedicated to awakening his people to their glorious history, their tragic past, and their determination to persevere into the future, with courage and fortitude.

Beginning in 1968, his voice and guitar has delivered to the Assyrians a message of hope and determination, of remembering and dedication. The modern Assyrian is made to remember not only his past, but also responsibility to his present and future. Through some of his songs were composed and sung long before him, they are tempered in his own style and energy.

And for daring, in a place where dictatorship reigned until now, to put forth his message, he was imprisoned and tortured, told that he would spend his last and no one would know of his death. His songs and melodies, however, came to him and inspired him to survive those difficult days.

David endured his detention for his beliefs and acts and came out victorious. His melodies of love and motherland again scent the air for Assyrians scattered around the globe. And just as the Assyrian stood surrounding him in Babylon that summer day in 1972, let them again listen and become inspired by his message.

By Robert William DeKelaita (on David "PROMISE" CD booklet)

David Esha

Born in 1949 in Habbaniya Iraq, in 1956 moved to Baghdad, in 1976 studied electrical engineering at the University of Technology.

In 1970 became one of the founding members of the Assyrian Cultural Association, a famed Association in Iraq.

In 1978 he was detained by the fascist Ba’ath regime of Iraq, for his national songs and by the spirit that he was sowing into the college youths of his generation.

In 1991 he leaves Iraq to Jordan and then Russia, in 1992 arrives with his family to Canada, there he studies electrical engineering, 1996 arrives in the US.

Married in 1977 has two boys and two daughters, and three grandchildren.

Started singing between the years 1968-69 at the University. He has his own singing style, these songs sowed national spirit among the Assyrian youth, the men and women on the university campus, national and love songs woven tightly to each others without differentiating between the two.

His songs have been so pure, as they get older they give a beauty, they give more love, because they are coming from deep thoughts and from the heart.

As I remember, it was our association party, and that day as usual our band used to play the first song, a national song, and the song for that day would have been requested from me to sing "Ya Akhone Qatokh Baydagh (O Brother to you Flag). But I saw two youth approaching me, one came on stage and said "there…sitting, are two (Amin - Under cover state security officers) and they are asking: not to sing any national songs. When he approached I told him to tell the two, that "I will sing the national song and whatever they want they can do, let them do".

Of course the young men told them, and we sung the national song. The second day, I will never forget. It was about 3pm they came to the house, knocked on our door, they didn’t introduce themselves at first, but I knew who they were, at that time their car was awaiting up the street from our house, so they took me to the intelligence centre.

This was the reason for detaining me. But I also want to mention that their eyes and ears was long time on our events and activities. Because as you remember, they were becoming larger and larger, we organised picnics, parties, national events, student youth gatherings, at that time in the beginning we had 200 to 300 people attending, in the 70’s and the start of the 80’s. But later one picnic we had in Babylon and Baquba we had up-to 3000 to 4000 people attending, because of this the government intelligence service wanted to put an end to these large Assyrian youth gatherings.

They had a tape with all the songs, which I sung, the tape that I recorder on an old cassette recorder, and many Assyrian homes had a copy. The intelligence officers interviewing me had it too, from the first to the last song was in their hands. They also had a small cassette player on their table, the officer would play a song and then ask me who is this singing? Who wrote these lyrics? Then the next song, and so on.

They also had a complete translation of all the songs in their hands some songs filled 3 to 4 pages but it was a misleading translation.

For example they would play a part of a song and they would ask: in the song "Ya Akhone Qatokh Baydagh" you are saying "Sepa Et Sargon" her you are saying that you want to fight the government, you want to take / librate Nineveh and spill blood in this country…? But of course there is nothing like their translation of the lyrics in that song.

Other question, which was about "Ya Bne Umte" You are saying "Our people are displaced and have no leader"? But you have a president, a leader of the country, he is your leader and leader of all of the people, so why would you sing these lyrics?

They asked me many, many questions like that, and about those songs,

Other question he asked was who were the writers of these lyrics?

Some of them were living in Iraq at that time, but I didn’t let them know, because of the threat to their life.

When they asked, I would for example say he is in Australia, what is his name? I would make-up a name. "Ya Bne Umte" was written by Goriel Shumon. Goriel was at that time in Iraq, but of course I didn’t mention his name, but other made-up name and would say he is out of the country, so they would not get their hands on Goriel.

They made me feel they were powerful songs, and will not forget them. Will not forget the pain that I suffered because of them.