First Rinyo Gala

Our Singer for the night

Sargon Youkhanna

Sargon Youkhanna started singing as early as 1988 at the age of eight in Tel Tammer, Syria. Sargon kept on singing and living his dream. He was recognized nationally in Syria when he was only an eighth grader. He won first place in a singing festival, “Mehrajan Aloghnia Alsyasya.” A festival in which each Syrian city picked a singer to represent it by competing in the festival. Shortly after that, he started singing at weddings and parties in his village (Tel Tammer). He was also requested to sing at weddings outside his village (Al Kameshly, Al Hasakah, etc.). Since singing was and still is Sargon’s forte, he participates in charity parties, festivals, and other parties. Sargon is now internationally recognized by his community and is requested to sing at parties in different parts of the world.

A Poem By

Marina Benjamin

Marina Benjamin the daughter of the late writer Rabi Akhtiyar Benjamin, was born on July 20, 1967 in Kirkuk, Iraq. She quickly was spotted at a tender age of three to recite a poem and lead a Christmas choir on the National TV of Kirkuk. In 1980, she migrated to USA and completed high school and higher education at the Northeastern Illinois University. At the age of thirteen, she developed an interest in poetry and has written numerous poems since. In 2010 and 2013, she released her first clip introducing her poem "Niqwa w'Yama." In April of 2010, she released her first album which included fifteen of her popular poems produced by Tiamat Production, Inc. In September 2010, she released her second clip of her poem "Arkha.” In 2011, yet another short film of her most popular poem "Waraqa". Her second album Rain was released in 2014. Marina has always taken an active role in her community and has been a part of many different poetry events. She is symbolized as "Ishtar" for having her own unique style of poetry representing the goddess “Ishtar” with her romantic and historical/nationalistic poems. She has connected with her people all around the world through her poetry. It should be noted that Marina volunteered and collaborated with Rinyo as the eastern Syriac narrator voice for the “Grandma and the Fox” App and as Ms. Sarah’s voice for the “Zalinville” App.