Vania David

Vania Ishou Davoodi was born in 1936 in the city of Or-Mieah, a city located North Western part of Iran. Right from the childhood, Vania was a gifted child with special interest in music.  As years went by, he grows to become a young man who took pride in his heritage as an Assyrian and developed a passion for Assyrian Folk music.

From the teenage years he worked hard to support his desire to learn music. After more than a year and half of hard work, Vania was able to save enough to buy his first musical instrument, an accordion.  While Vania’s dad was totally against this direction, Vania was determined to take instruction and learn the art of music correctly.

By the time Vania was 18 years old, he had already started to compose musical melodies that clearly reflected his love for his people and his original taste and creativity. It was not too long before the officials in the most prominent radio station in Tehran at that time noticed this young artist and recruited him to write music for the radio broadcast, a position that was highly respected at the time.  During this time, Vania managed to write over 25 original pieces of music for radio Iran which mostly were performed by professional musicians and were recorded with the beautiful voice of famous Assyrian vocalist, Albert Khoshabeh.  Vania’s exceptional talent and his unique melody were so evident to the radio Iran’s officials that they offered him a permanent position on staff.  However, Vania’s love for his people was so strong that made declining this offer an easy decision. He was determined to use this God given talent for his people rather than his personal fame and profit.

After leaving radio Iran, Vania embraced his heritage and started to write Assyrian songs that clearly captured the hearts of all who heard them.  In 1962 Vania met his soon to be wife, Joan, a young Assyrian teacher. She was the perfect made for a passionate musician. Over the year to come, Joan’s love and support enhanced his ability and availability to apply himself to his call. While Vania was fully engaged in his carrier as a dentist, he founded “The Assyrian Folk Choir”. Vania along with his very close friend Measha Ashourian who was one of the very known poets in Assyrian community managed to gather a group of 75 Assyrian men and women and perform some of the most authentic and original Assyrian Folk music concerts. Over 25 concerts were performed in various cities in Iran of which Vania’s melodies were showcased.

The history of the Assyrian in modern days is full of sweet sound of Vania’s melody. Over 220 original songs were written by Vania over the last 5 decades out of which over 160 have been performed by various Assyrian vocalists. In 1979 Vania took his talent to a new level and wrote a classical piece called, “The Greatness of Bet-Nahrin”.  In this classical piece Vania brought the world of Assyrian Folk melody and introduced it to the world of Classical music. A master piece like none ever recorded in the Assyrian History. In 1981 Vania concluded his activity before taking the back seat in the world of Assyrian music by writing a book featuring 25 of his most favorite songs.