Arts & Entertainment
In the heart of the Nineveh Plain, nestled in the ancient town of Alqosh, a masterful craftsman weaves stories and tradition with every stitch. Meet Thamir Yousif Qoda, a man who has dedicated his life to the art of crafting traditional garments that hold the essence of Chaldean, Assyrian, Kurdish, Arab, and Yazidi cultures.
The Chaldean Community Foundation, in partnership with the Chaldean Heritage Center in West Bloomfield (Shenandoah Country Club), took the initiative to host the second annual Mesopotamian Writers Conference (Beth al-Nahrain) on Saturday, November 11 in the Wireless Vision Gymnasium located in the Chaldean Community Foundation building in Sterling Heights.
From November 3 through November 5, pieces from select artists were displayed at the Chaldean Community Foundation for the 2nd Annual Beth Nahrain Art Show. Featured artists included Reni Stephan, Sabah Wazi, Azhr Matti, Wilson Sarkis, Mark Georgies, Cassidy Azzow, Fr. Patrick Setto, Emad Tammo, Habib Hannona and Savannah Meyer. Proceeds from the event benefited the victims of the Bakhdida wedding fire through a fundraising effort supported by Nineveh Rising.
Reni Stephan, 42, was born in Baghdad and moved to the U.S. when he was 11. He said his family has plenty of musical talent, and while he shares a love of music, his artistry is more visual in nature. Stephan is a sculptor and painter who owns the Studio Lamassu Art Studio on 15 Mile near Ryan Road in Sterling Heights.
Nearly 700 attendees had the opportunity to experience the land between two rivers through paintings, woodwork and sculptures at the 2nd Annual Beth Nahrain Art Show held at the Chaldean Community Foundation November 3-5.
Featured artists included Reni Stephan, Sabah Wazi, Azhr Matti, Wilson Sarkis, Mark Georgies, Cassidy Azzow, Fr. Patrick Setto, Emad Tammo, Habib Hannona and Savannah Meyer. Proceeds from the event benefited the victims of the Bakhdida wedding fire through a fundraising effort supported by Nineveh Rising.
A foreign language coach in Hollywood, Chaldean American Sam Sako is often called on by producers to coach some of the world’s best known on-screen talent, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Omar Sharif, Mark Strong, Russell Crowe, Oscar Isaac, Brad Dourif, Tim Roth, Scott Glenn, Danny Trejo, and Freddy Rodriguez.
First generation Assyrian-Chaldean songwriter and poet Tamara Mechael talks about what it’s like being a faithful Catholic in an industry that likes to take the easy way. She was born in Detroit, but Mechael was not cut out to be a mechanic or work in science like her highly educated parents. Tamara and her sister Farrah were born to be artists.
Born in Alqosh, Iraq, Raad Hakeem, 32, has been playing the tamboura since the age of eleven. Known in Turkish as saz, the tamboura is a musical stringed instrument with a long neck and round body. It belongs to the lute family and is known for its rich, resonant sound. It is commonly used in Indian classical music, although it has found its way into various genres of world music and fusion styles due to its unique tone and versatile nature.
Paul Elia burst onto the stage with a bright smile and an air of star quality. He looked out at the intimate and tightly-packed room at Detroit House of Comedy. This was his dream: to bring a successful show to his hometown, draw a sizable crowd, and return favor to the Chaldean community that raised him.
Sally was born in Kirkuk, Iraq but spent most of her childhood in Baghdad before immigrating to the United States about 50 years ago. Going back a few generations, her family roots lie further east. Sally’s maternal grandmother, Rosa, grew up in an area that now falls within the borders of Iran, in a vibrant Chaldean community that remains to this day. It was from this region where Biryani, a long-time favorite Chaldean dish, first emerged.
When Fadi Y. Sitto found his calling, the switch was immediate. He would stop writing articles for magazines and press releases for corporate firms. He had no choice but to follow where his heart pulled him. He would become a poet.
The First-Time Filmmaker Sessions Online Film Festival is proud to present The Great American Family, a documentary that sheds light on the injustices of the American criminal justice system. Directed, written, and produced by Weam Namou, this film tells the story of Dawn Hanna, who was sentenced to six years in federal prison for having conspired to send telecom equipment to Iraq during the sanctions.
Sunday, March 19 marked the 20th year anniversary of the 2003 US-Invasion of Iraq. That day Detroit Public Theatre held a watch party for the film adaptation of Heather Raffo’s 9 Pars of Desire, an award-winning one-woman show which premiered almost 20 years ago in London and Off-Broadway, later becoming a global theatrical phenomenon. The date also marked three years since Raffo’s father, Georges, passed away.
April marks the Babylonian Akitu Festival, the New Year in ancient Mesopotamia. Professor Amanda H. Podany describes the history of that festival in her book Weavers, Scribes and Kings. She also shares other important details related to the study of Chaldeans.
The best brands evoke the emotions of their customers by tapping into their hearts and minds. In this book, marketing and brand strategist Lydia Michael of Blended Collective breaks down the process of building culturally inclusive, long-lasting consumer-brand relationships.
When Genevieve Kashat was 3 years old, she watched with awe as her mother made a rich, delicious, and familiar banana bread for her family to enjoy. Years later, this moment would blossom into something much greater: a budding baking career and a shot at Food Network stardom. The road from mom’s banana bread to the Kids Baking Championship requires just the right mixture of talent, hard work, creativity, and inspiration.
Pioneers deserve recognition and celebration. They serve as our foundation, a guiding force toward an advanced and progressive society. They act as catalysts for passing wisdom onto new generations, inspiring individuals to become their best selves. Habib Hannona is a living example of one such pioneer. His achievements in the United States, Kuwait, and Iraq exemplify human strength, enduring spirit, survival, and success.
Ivan Jaddou has taken anything but a traditional Chaldean path. He forged his own way, forcing himself into one of the world’s toughest industries, mainly through sheer hard work and inspired drive. At every turn, Jaddou proved that he can compete with and should be ranked among the world’s top shoe designers.
Genevieve Kashat, 11, is a contestant on Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship. The contestants are all child entrepreneurs with “burgeoning baking businesses.” Throughout the ten-week competition, they must compete for the best in the latest dessert trends and most popular sweets. Premiering on Dec. 26 at 8 p.m., the season features a new twist, testing the children’s business savvy as well as their baking skills.
2022 Stories
The Chaldean Community Foundation recently hosted an art show by artists of Iraqi descent. Organized by Alan Mansour, all proceeds went to the humanitarian organization Nineveh Rising.
Noura, a play about the struggles of a middle-class Chaldean wife and mother living in New York, is coming to Michigan. It had its 2018 world premiere at Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C. before moving to Abu Dhabi then on to New York’s Playwrights Horizons.
The art show, hosted by the Chaldean Community Foundation, is free to the public. Donations will benefit the new charity Nineveh Rising, which has already taken some action in the homeland.
When Emily Taila first started making art, she didn’t know she was any good. It wasn’t until second grade when her piece was chosen for a school exhibition that she first received any recognition.
According to a study done by Duke University, more than 40% of our daily activities are done out of habit. In other words, more than 40% of our behavior consists of acts we have not consciously decided to do.
The National Arab Orchestra (NAO) gears up for the 30th Annual Concert of Colors next month; a free, nine-day global music festival that’s family friendly indoors and outdoors. The concert takes place near the Detroit Institute of Arts, The Arab American National Museum, Orchestra Hall and other Detroit cultural gems. Arab orchestra founder and conductor Michael Ibrahim aims to bridge the Arab and non-Arab world through music. The NAO does this by speaking to the diversity that lives within the Arab world, a fact that is often glazed over in favor of the stereotypical soundbites one might find when talking about the Arab world. “Being Arab isn’t an ethnicity, it’s a cultural mindset, making a strong case for the Arab world existing as the original melting pot,” said Ibrahim.
The new Detroit-based streetwear brand emphasizes sports above all. Detroit’s classic pro teams – the Red Wings, Lions, Tigers, and Pistons – are reimagined in bursts of bones and fire by Michael Sana himself. Other designs are inspired by University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
As days passed, the violence grew nearer. At the sound of gunshots, Grace’s father told her they would play hide and seek, a game they had practiced, while he defended her with his life. This is the plot of “Grace,” an award-winning short film made by Chaldean/Assyrian director Brian Patto.
Production has begun on the feature film that is the brainchild of Weam Namou, an Iraqi American who lives in Sterling Heights. The movie, a ‘dramedy,’ is based on her novel, which was published in February of 2021.
It seems impossible to a reasonable person; however, Dankha Zomaya is an artist and exceptional artists have exceptional vision.
Artists often travel to beautiful landscapes to paint them. Dankha Zomaya travels back in time to reflect on his past and the heritage of his people. He seeks to recreate, in shapes and colors his mind conjures up, the marvels of the wonderous history of his people. Three of his latest paintings are displayed at the Chaldean Community Foundation.
An epiphany in the form of a surprise phone call changed the course of Jonathon Bach’s life, and he hasn’t looked back since. When he was 19, attending the University of Michigan, singing and playing piano, the now 23-year-old picked up the phone. It was the popular TV music show, The Voice, and they wanted him to audition for a spot.
The recently released book, What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, reveals the inspiring story of how Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, accompanied by a distinctive team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leaders, proved that Flints’ kids were exposed to lead and then fought her own government and a brutal backlash to expose that truth to the world.
Start with the Motown years, add some Mariah Carey, a dash of Whitney Houston and a helping of Elton John, mix it up and you have D’Town Rewind.D’Town Rewind is a self-described, “charismatic and energetic 80’s and Motown cover band” that will take you back to a time when life seemed more simple and fun. It consists of two professionally trained musicians: singer and dancer, Jenelle Faranso and keyboardist and producer, Omar Binno.
The history of literature reveals many writers, poets and thinkers who help initiate, develop, enrich and introduce major changes or literary catalysts in the genre within which they are working. They do not simply initiate a new trend, but rather establish a radically new way of writing, often against heavy odds and beyond all expectations. They change the direction of the literature of their times and of all times.