Murassa Georges

Murassa (nee Urshan) Daniels Georges - 1906 - 1980 By: Ramon (Ray) Georges (Her Son)

Murassa Urshan was born in Abajaloo, Iran on July 20th 1906. Her mother (Rachel Mooshie-Daniels) had been married previously and had four children (one being Abraham Mooshie-Daniels) from her first husband who left her widowed. Murassa was the first girl in a family of several boys and was considered quite a prize. In 1909 when she was only three years old, her father (Urshan) died after falling from the house roof leaving Murassa an orphan and her mother (Rachel Mooshie-Daniels-Urshan) a widow for the second time in her life. Before the outbreak of WWI, Jonathan, Murrasa's older brother moved to the United States of America and sadly worked himself to death at a very young age. Murassa and her mother were now very much alone except for the four half brothers from her mother's first marriage.

Oraham Daniels, one of Murassa's half brothers married Sofia Babaian, a half Assyrian half Armenian woman. He too moved to the United States of America just before the outbreak of WWI in 1914, leaving his fourteen year old bride behind. Sofie was greatly relieved, as a mere child, she was not ready to start having children.

In 1917 bad times came to all of Urmia when the Russian Cossaks where called back to Russia from Iran. The Persians began their "holy" war against the Christian Assyrians. Murrassa, her mother and Sofie and her mother were alone and started out with all their possessions packed on three donkeys. These they lost one by one until Murassa and her mother finally arrived at the British internment camp of "Baaquba" in Iraq with only one donkey, which carried the eleven year old Murassa while her mother walked along her side throughout this long and dangerous exodus. Murassa's mother washed Murassa's long beautiful long hair in a cold stream so that the British forces would not shave her hair to prevent infestation from head lice.

Murassa became very ill and probably developed rheumatic fever which caused her considerable trouble with a bad heart that plagued her the rest of her life. To make matters worse, her mother became ill and died. Sofie had the dreadful task of telling Murassa of the terrible news of the death of her mother. It was decided then that Murassa would go to the United States of America with Sofie and live with one of her half brothers, Oraham; Sofie's mother was to be passed off as Murassa's mother so that she could get into the United States since only spouses and blood relatives of sponsors were given visas. Sofie's mother as Oraham's mother in law would not have qualified, but as Murassa's mother she would. So Murassa's name was changed to Murassa Daniels.

Paul Pera Georges was born in Gavilan, Iran on August 15, 1905. He had twin siblings; a boy and a girl who died at about one year of age from diptheria; however Paul had two older brothers too. Paul was full of mischief. One of his old friends, John Moses created a serious problem for all of the Assyrians in Gavilan in 1917 when he shot and killed a retarded Persian boy. Retaliation was swift and in kind, Paul's favorite uncle, a giant of a man, was shot in the back by a sniper from which he survived but never fully recovered to survive the flight to Iraq. Paul's mother sewed garments with big sleeves in which she placed food for the trip. Paul, his two older brothers, his father, mother and uncle started out on their survival journey into Iraq. Paul's mother forgot that more important than the food was water, Paul's uncle died on the trip; one of his older brothers died of high fever caused by drinking tainted water. Paul, one of his remaining older brothers, mother and father made it to "Baaqubah" the same British camp where Murassa had made it with her mother and Sofie.

Paul Pera Georges at twelve years of age, met and fell in love the eleven year old Murassa in the "Baaqubah" refugee camp. He and his family provided food and shelter for this orphaned girl who had no family except for Sofie, the seventeen years old half sister in law. The war dragged on but Paul and Murassa were having a great time as they were growing up. After the war ended, Oraham Daniels, Murassa's half brother made preparations to get Sofie, her mother and Murassa to the United States. In late 1919 they were ready to leave to the U.S. Paul begged his father to let him go with them because he loved Murassa so much, but Paul's father Pera, refused to let Paul go to the America.

Paul enlisted the aid of a friend of his and plotted to kidnap Murassa and to take her out into the desert. This would have caused Murassa shame unless they were immediately married, this too was to be accomplished one evening. Fortunately Pera Georges told Paul that he had changed his mind and would allow him to leave to the United States with Murassa and her remaining family. Paul's father changed his mind after he learned that the British drafted colonials for their army at age of 15 and did not want Paul to be dragged into the British Army and so allowed him to move to America. Ray Georges, Paul and Murassa's older son remembers his father Paul telling him about when his father Pera told him this, "He kissed me good bye, making me so happy while breaking my heart at the same time."

After a very involved journey through the Suez Canal, hold ups in the canal while regional wars were being fought, to India then France, England, Canada and finally entered the United States through Detroit, Michigan. Here Paul was the orphan and Murassa had a family of sorts. Paul and Murassa courted for the next 10 years however Oraham, Murassa's half brother was against their marriage. Being his only sister, Oraham wanted to arrange Murassa's marriage to someone with money, not a penniless painter and decorator by the name of Paul Georges. So on Murassa's 24th birthday, on July 20th, 1930 they eloped to Crown Point, Indiana where they were married.

Murassa by this time was famous among Assyrians for her singing of all kinds of Middle Eastern songs. She signed a contract with Columbia Records to record 12 songs, one per month. These recordings introduced her to thousands of Assyrians around the world. However when her first son Ramon was born in 1931 she gave up her singing career as she always thought the greatest career any woman could have would be as a wife and a mother. In 1936 Murassa and Paul Pera Georges had their second son named Ralph.

On May 8, 1980 Murassa, the world famous Assyrian woman who was the first to record Assyrian songs in the world died in Chicago at the age of 74, leaving behind her husband Paul Pera Georges and her two sons, Ramon and Ralph still living in Illinois. Three years later, on January 24, 1983 Paul died at the age of 78.

Ramon Georges, Murassa's older son says "Both my parents were magic. Because of them I love people. As a result, the six children I have, 3 boys and 3 girls probably have been smothered with more love than they deserve. But what else could I do with teachers like the ones I had?"

    These are a few of known recordings by Murassa.

* Shaqqi Weela Ahwali

   * Go Bakhcha D'warde

   * Npilli L'aarra

   * Urmi, Urmi

   * Esh-Qukh Milya M'Darde

   * Raba Gahe Dim'ee K'Saalee

   * Ta Kislee La Wood Khishaa

   * Go Da' Doonya 

Saul Daniels and Murassa Urshan were married July 7, 1922. They divorced on May 28, 1931 and had no children. Murassa married Paul Georges and had two sons, Ralph and Ramon.