NOVEMBER 2005

ARTS & entertainment
Rafid Sawa and Sons: A Family Affair BY JENNIFER T. KORAIL
Countless details go into planning the perfect
Chaldean celebration, and music is always
considered one of the most important elements.
In fact, when there is a church celebration
or holiday party, many people first ask who the
singer will be before they decide whether or not to
attend. With nearly 20 years in the entertainment
profession, musician Rafid Sawa knows what it
takes to make a memorable party.
A natural-born musician, Sawa followed his passion
early on in life. As a child, he loved listening to
all types of music and practicing, even when his
family and teachers told him not to. At age 6, Sawa
remembers getting kicked out of class time and
again for drumming on his desk. “The teachers
were so used to my drumming that even when
someone else knocked on the desks, they would
blame me,” he recalled with a laugh.
His parents encouraged him to take alternative
routes to success, with a conventional career, but
Sawa always knew that music would be a lasting
part of his life. “Music is my passion. I told my parents
that this is what I wanted; this is what I wanted
to be,” he said. “And once I married and started
my own family, my parents knew that was it.”
There is no question that Sawa’s choice was a
good one. He has 17 CDs on the market and is in
the process of finishing his own studio. This month,
his newest CD, which includes a revival of the timeless
and popular “Gowa, Gowa,” will be released.
All in the Family
Much of his success can also be seen through the
family that Sawa and his wife, Ban, have raised in
Farmington Hills. Their sons, Alvin, 18, Andy, 16,
and Emilio, 8, all enjoy learning different instruments
and practicing with their father. In fact, all three are
aspiring musicians, specializing in piano, percussion
and flute. The young men take their music seriously,
using their spare time for lessons and participating
in music courses at school. Alvin and Andy play on
the new CD, which is all in Arabic.
Sawa recalls Alvin, his oldest son, following him
to practices and watching him perform as a child.
He is now the leader of the band in Sawa’s eyes.
Rafid Sawa
“Alvin is like my right arm,” he said. “I am so
thankful to God for what he gave me. Because who
else can be close to me but my sons? I am with
them every day, right from the moment they wake up
to go to school in the morning. We are very close.”
“My father is my inspiration,” Alvin said. “I
remember the first show I ever led. There were
almost 1,000 people and I was shocked. But it was
a great experience because I knew my father was
there for me.”
Alvin and his father have made several CDs together
since. Andy, Sawa’s middle son, is not far behind, as
he plays several instruments on the new CD. Emilio,
the youngest member of the Sawa family, has become
his father’s biggest fan, dressing up like his dad before
performances and following his every move.
Sawa is happy to have passed on the legacy of
music and its possibilities to his sons. “I love everybody.
I want nothing more than for all of us to be
brothers,” he said. “I think about all of the things that
are going on in the world, and I see music as something
that brings people together.”
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52 CHALDEAN NEWS NOVEMBER 2005