The concert will officially launch Yako’s new album, Four Corners of the World, featuring 10 original compositions and reimagined classical works. Performed by an eight-piece band with guest vocalists, the album draws on Yako’s Assyrian heritage and musical influences from around the world.
Blending world fusion with jazz, the performance combines powerful rhythms, improvisation and musical storytelling, exploring the way music can connect people and cultures. The album follows a body of work through which Yako has incorporated Assyrian heritage and musical traditions into contemporary compositions.
In an interview with SBS Assyrian in 2023, Yako described his earlier album Inspirational Stories as a collection of compositions inspired by refugees and migrants who endured trauma and hardship while attempting to reach Australia. The album featured legendary Assyrian artist Ashur Bet Sargis on track I’m Sorry, alongside Australian artist Jennifer Park.
His 2024 album, 6774 Assyria Ave, further explored the fusion of Assyrian and contemporary music, blending modern jazz with traditional Assyrian styles including Raweh – a traditional genre of Assyrian folk music and unaccompanied sung poetry characterised by emotional, echoing melodic chanting.
The album featured artists including Lala Laressa and Jwanita Ashur, with bilingual interpretations of classics including Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon, Nat King Cole’s Autumn Leaves and Judy Garland’s Over the Rainbow. The songs were performed partly in Assyrian and partly in English, bringing familiar classics to audiences through an Assyrian musical lens.
Yako is also the founder of Real Rhythm Studio in Fairfield, Sydney, where he teaches and supports the development of emerging musicians.
The Sydney Opera House is one of Australia’s most internationally recognised cultural landmarks and has hosted some of the world’s most celebrated artists and performers, including Luciano Pavarotti, Elton John, Beyoncé, Adele and Yo-Yo Ma. Performing at the Opera House is a significant achievement for any Australian artist, making Yako’s return to the venue an important moment for Assyrian representation on one of the country’s most prestigious stages.
