Jookoo Horia

Musician from Mesopotamia living in Jerez, Spain.

Assyrian (Ashuri), Zigane, Manoush, Flamenco and Klezmer music.
For contacting Jookoo and bookings: (+34) 627 109 232
E mail: darkeyesmusic@hotmail.com

To listen and buy Jookoo´s Caravan Band music:
www.cdbaby.com/cd/jookoocaravan

Born in the tribe of Jillu hakari, one of the largest tribes of ancient Mesopotamia, still speaking Aramaic, the same language they spoke 8.000 B.C. in the old cities of Ninva, Somaria, Akadia and Our Kaldiu, the birth place of Abraham. Known today as Ashuri (Assyrian). His people are the oldest Christians “Madenka”. One can find these people also in Kerala, India, China, Indonesia, Middle East, and around the world.
The scholars have called them different names. When it comes to international human rights and foreign policy they are still striving for recognition of their identity of their people as the direct descendants of Ancient Mesopatamia. They have been persecuted by the ancient Romans, Persians, Greak, Mongolians, Arabs, Turks, Kurds and also by the Nazis. Still persecuted today in Iraq.

Jookoo was born in what is now known as Basra in Iraq. He left to Beirut in Lebanon at the age of 12 as a refugee because of pursacution of his people. Not recognised in their own ancient home land. This exodus has been repeated over and over again until today, since 612 B.C. when the Mesopotamian Empire fell. In Beirut he lived 4 years. Then he left with his family to “Egalio” in Athens in Greece where there was an Ashuri community allready. From there they went to settle in Chicago, USA, keeping their culture, language and music alive.

Intervieuw with Jookoo about his people by Dan Uneken : www.vimeo.com/4169906

Listening to “Canto Hondo” his grandmother heard it and said “this is our folk tribal singing, but they sing in a foreign language”, which was in Spanish. Then she managed to get a cassete from her friends and played it. Jookoo was very shocked and excited saying “this is it!”.

Straight away after this Jookoo went to live in Jerez in 1998 to investigate these links between the “Canto Hondo” traditional Flamenco singing, as Seguiria, Martinete, Solear and Tonal, which is the same singing as the traditional folk singing in the  Ashuri tribes.

He met the Gypsy scholar Rafael Fernandez Suarez known as “El Nene”, who had allready written 40 years ago about the routs of the Flamenco singing and the Gypsies, being from ancient Mesopotamia.
After reading his articles and from listening to the ancient singing with his grandmother, Jookoo believed that the puzzle was now solved and that he found his people.
This singing is oral tradition, going thousand of years back, sung without the acompanying of guitar or any other instruments, as the traditional Flamenco. Singing for protest, persecution, suffering, love songs, happy songs. Also flirting with the words about the beauty of woman.

“Journey to the roots of Flamenco, Un viaje a las raices del Flamenco”

Jookoo made this CD, by adding the guitar of Moraito Chico of Jerez, oud of Omar Bashir and others to the voice of different singers like Kaise Zeradush and Jookoo´s grandfather “Panches”.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecGRtyMtcCs

Jookoo playing and Jose “Caraoscura”, son of El Parilla de Jerez singing in Cafe Delicatessun, Levante, Caños de Meca. Click here to see www.youtube.com/watch?v=amTr6JLAlU8

To listen to another traditional Assyrian Folk music “Shara” played by Jookoo click here www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y6Be78VnbA

Jookoo playing live, Zigane, Manoush at Hotel Madreselva, Caños de Meca click: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DGAhW0bcEY

Written by Karen Abrahams whilst interviewing Jookoo.
Los Caños de Meca, 31 July 2009