Assyrian music icon Evin Agassi passes away at 79 due to illness

USA — Assyrian music legend Evin Agassi has passed away at the age of 79 after battling an incurable disease. Agassi, whose life was marked by artistic brilliance and cultural commitment, leaves behind a rich legacy.

Born in September 1945, Agassi succumbed to a malignant brain tumor, which ended his decades-long career as a cultural icon. Known among Assyrians in Iran as ‘Evin’, Agassi released over 20 albums, blending art with cultural resistance. He was an accomplished guitarist and pianist, renowned for combining traditional Assyrian music with nationalistic themes.

Agassi gained wider fame in the 1980s and 1990s for popularizing Assyrian songs that captured the hopes and aspirations of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people. Under Saddam Hussein’s regime, Agassi’s music was banned in Iraq, and those caught listening to or distributing his works faced punishment.

In July, Agassi’s family announced his diagnosis with an inoperable brain tumor, a revelation that caused widespread grief among his fans.

With his passing, the Syriac–Assyrian music scene loses a distinct and influential voice, but his legacy will endure, inspiring future generations and preserving the cultural identity of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people.