Gabi Masso

Gabriel Masso, known as Gabi Masso(GABI),
is a well-known artist within the syriac music circles.
He plays, composes, arranges and sings his own music.
He was born in August 2nd, 1978 in qameshlo (north-eastern Syria)
and lived there until he was only 40 days old,
when he and his family left to S?dert?lje, Sweden.

Since GABI was a little child
his father has always been aware of his son?s musical gift and therefore
he came to be a big part in GABI?s musical career.

The father has always encouraged his son when it comes to the music,
especially the singing part.
He bought him his first keyboard when he was 9 years old.
GABI started to play both famous and self-composed melodies all by him self,
and when the father noticed his son?s talent he decided to let him take music lessons at
?Kulturskolan? in S?dert?lje, to develop himself further.
GABI is a self-taught keyboard-player/musician but he has also learned
theoretical knowledge?s from all the courses he went on and by reading many music-books on his free time.

Though GABI is grown in the western-world he masters the middle-east music very much.

In the beginning he learned the basic knowledge?s about the middle-eastern music by
famous musicians/composers.
Among them are Joseph Malki and Sardanapal Asaad.
Later on he developed himself much more by reading and listening to the oriental music.

His first official musical career began as a keyboard-player at the age 14,
in the well-known music band ?Qenneshrin?, consisting of six musicians.
Gabi Masso(keyboard), Nabuch Poli(keyboard), Emanuel Demir(saz),
Yaakob Danho(oud), Nasiph Kasarji(basguitar) and the band was led by Joseph Malki(violin).
The band is still active but with less musicians and it has always been one of the leading music-bands in Sweden.
Many singers such as Habib Mousa and Ninib Ablahad Lahdo have collaborated with Qenneshrin.

Music for GABI is one of the biggest passions in his life,
especially the song writing/composing.
He has always composed melodies since the minute he started to play the keyboard.
Composing for him is a way to express him self and he loves the feeling of ?creation?.
Therefore he has made a lot of instrumental pieces and songs.
He has made compositions from classical piano-pieces to modern pop-music.

At the age of 18 he met one of his best friends Nabil Mirza
and who later became his partner in song writing.
Nabil has written many lyrics which GABI has composed
and they have made a lot of success in their way to produce the songs.

GABI?s official career as a songwriter began when he composed songs for the singer
Aboud Zazi in his second album ?Waado du qtoro?.
He made him songs like ?Waado du qtoro? (lyrics by George Shamoun),
?Lema Lema? (lyrics by Gabriel Lahdo),
?Ornina? (lyrics by Nabil Mirza) and
?Dom dom drommeni? (lyrics by Shabo Bahe).

He also arranged and programmed the midi in almost all the songs.

Another singer he composed to is Jacob Malki.
He made for him ?Kayto do Swed? (lyrics by George Shamoun)
and ?Aynotha a jaroqe? (lyrics by Abdelmasih Shamoun).

In 1998 GABI and Yaakob Danho, a Qenneshrin band-member,
made in collaboration with the Swedish ABF an unique concert called
?Ov?ntat m?te?(?Unexpected meeting?) witch took place in ?Estrad? in S?dert?lje.
Both of them had some of their compositions performed and many singers such as Habib Mousa,
Ninib Ablahad Lahdo, Antoinette Sayegh, Sardanapal Asaad performed their new and old songs.
The idea was to mix western and middle-east instruments performing syriac music.
This was the first time this kind of concert was performed and it succeeded.

As the years went by GABI came to be more interested in composition/arranging,
he decided to absorb himself in the subject and to get trained.
He applied for admission in different kinds of composition/arranging-educations and
at last he passed the entrance examination in ?Kulturama? in Stockholm.
There he studied the western music from Bach to modern music.

After finishing his studies in Kulturama,
GABI and Nabil made their names as famous songwriters in their song
?Marli Marli?(music by GABI & lyrics by Nabil Mirza) which became a mega hit,
especially among the youths.
It has also been played on the Swedish ?Radio Stockholm? several times.
?Marli Marli? was first released as a single and it was sung by GABI himself.
It was the starting-shot to GABI?s official song-career
and it has made him one of the first among very few composers/singers
to compose and to sing pop music in the syriac language.
The single led to a second successful production.

He released his first album ? Layla? consisting of nine hit songs,
composed/arranged by GABI and the lyrics wrote by Nabil Mirza.
Except the song ?Ninwe?, composed by Habib Mousa and lyrics wrote by Senharib Sado.

The other songs in the album are ?Lekmaqbalno?,
?Layla?, ?Halla Halla?, ?Aman?, ?Shemsho w Sahro?,
?Hat mnaqelach? and both the original and the new version of ?Marli Marli?.

About three years later GABI had an idea to make a new song in R&B-style.
He contacted Nabil Mirza immediately to write the lyrics.
At that point Nabil was not available,
he was staying in Norway and that could be a problem for the two of them to make further songs,
because they were used to be together when they wrote their earlier songs.
But this didn?t stop them,
they contacted each other through the msn-chat and Nabil wrote the lyrics to ?Hlitho w mayerto?
which GABI then composed.
The song was meant to be released as a single at that time but when GABI later on decided
to make another big production,
he saved it to be released in the next upcoming album.

GABI prepared eight new hit songs and set off to Istanbul to record them.
This time he decided to make different kinds of music styles from classic,
hindi to pop and R&B.
The idea was to practise his knowledge?s in those different kinds of styles
and to practise his skills in composition/arranging.
Therefore he called the album ?Gawne d?musiqi? (?colours of music?).

He composed-, midi-programmed-, and wrote down the scores (notation) to all the songs all by himself.
This was like a dream coming true,
because he has always dreamed of getting his compositions recorded in Istanbul.
That?s because he believes that it?s there he can find the right musicians to express his music in the best way.
And of course through their professionalism GABI can get his song writing skills played by live instruments in top quality.

?Gawne d?musiqi? includes the songs ?Liljo w imomo?,
?Manyo i rhemtaidi?, ?Hlitho w mayerto?, ?Lo leyto?, ?Yamo?(lyrics by Nabil Mirza),
?Tech loqina?(lyrics by Yaakob Danho), ?Laibi? and ?Malko da sayode?(lyrics by GABI)

Though GABI is still young,
he has managed within a few years with hard work to establish himself as a famous artist and
his art has without any doubts enriched the syriac music by introducing his modern styles.
He is considered to belong to those few artists who have created pop music into the syriac music.

GABI?s main dream in his music career is that he
will some day hopefully see the syriac song being raised into a world-class level and
to be known and listened by many other nationalities.

Full name: Gabriel Masso, known as Gabi Masso
Born: 2 august 1978 in qameshlo, Syria
Residence: s?dert?lje, Sweden
Family: wife Lubna, father Adib, mother Samira,
sisters Frida and Izla with her husband Metin , brother Michel