AI generated music is well on its way to change the music industry forever. The revolution, feared by some and hailed by others, is already here with an explosion of AI generated music. The transformation has now also reached Assyrian music.
Research by the Post shows that several anonymous creators have already published numerous AI generated Assyrian songs. While some of the tracks are covers of classical Assyrian songs, others are entirely new compilations with new lyrics. You can now enjoy the spiced up AI versions of Sargon Gabriel's Brata D-Mam Oshana or Habib Moussa's O habibo.
One of the anonymous creators, Beth Nahrin FM writes "All lyrics are written by us with care and dedication, reflecting our deep connection to our heritage." Several of the creator accounts frame their content as a means to preserve and contribute to Assyrian heritage. Critics however, believe that the main purpose of many of those churning out AI music is to earn revenue sharing from online platforms like Youtube and Spotify.
First Assyrian AI artists take the stage
With the arrival of AI music, Assyrian AI singers are now entering the scene. The creator or creators behind Narina Sarkis describe her as a "virtual Assyrian singer from the Matrix whose voice carries the soul of her heritage, reimagined through modern music styles — from dance and pop to jazz-funk and world fusion", explaining further that "Every song is a bridge between tradition and innovation, celebrating the beauty of the Assyrian language in a fresh, global way." The same creator has also launched Remos Ashuraya, a male equivalent of Narina.
The homepage of Babylon X Music, the named company behind the two AI Assyrian artist has no contact details or other information about the individuals behind the AI artists.
A blessing and a curse?
Much of the discussion in the global music industry revolves around how to prevent AI-generated music from displacing human artists and musicians. The issue is even more important for a stateless nation with no public structures in place to support singers and musicians. The number of Assyrian artists who are fortunate enough to make a living from their talent is very small. With the rise of ever more capable AI models, the question of if we will see a new Linda George or Habib Mousa rise to fame and create new classics is a valid one to ask. Some argue that while AI can produce music, it may not be able to evoke the same emotion as music created by human artists. Music made by humans can move people in a special way and might even gain in status and demand as cheaply produced AI music floods the scene. Whenever cheap plastic copies of some original handcraft flooded the market, the original craft and craftsmen rose in status and demand. In a best case scenario, some argue, AI music may help to expand and increase variety of Assyrian music while increasing the value of real, human made Assyrian music by future generations. Given the speed of development it may not take too long before it becomes evident which scenario will become reality.
The Assyria Post
