Last night I had the privilege of listening to the Iraqi musician and composer, Rahim AlHaj, who performed a number of his own compositions for solo oud. This was held at Symphony Space in Manhattan as part of the World Music Institute season. AlHaj is not only a talented contemporary artist, but a natural showman. His playful, and at times tearful, interaction with the audience framed his virtuosity. I say “tearful” because the passion in his music spoke to the disharmony in Iraq’s recent history. One of the pieces was named in honor of a cousin, Qasim, who along with four friends was killed by American soldiers while waiting for a cab in Baghdad. Another poured out his sadness at witnessing the tragedy of 9/11 soon after arriving in America. Throughout the show, Rahim asked if we in the audience wanted him to play something “fun” or “tragedy.” Both were present in the theater last night; both pervade Iraqi culture today.

For more information on Rahim AlHaj, check out his superb website. A video of his recording for a Smithsonian cd is available on Youtube. His biography, copied from his website, is provided below.

Rahim AlHaj, virtuoso oud musician and composer, was born in Baghdad, Iraq and began playing the oud (the grandfather of all stringed instruments) at age nine. Early on, it was evident that he had a remarkable talent for playing the oud. Mr. Alhaj studied under the renowned Munir Bashir, considered by many to be the greatest oud player ever, and Salim Abdul Kareem, at the Institute of Music in Baghdad, Iraq. Mr. AlHaj won various awards at the Conservatory and graduated in 1990 with a diploma in composition. He holds a degree in Arabic Literature from Mustunsariya University in Baghdad. In 1991, after the first Gulf War, Mr. AlHaj was forced to leave Iraq due to his activism against the Saddam Hussein regime and began his life in Jordan and Syria. He moved to the US in 2000 as a political refugee and has resided in Albuquerque, NM ever since.

Rahim AlHaj has performed hundreds of concerts all over the world, on tour with Munir Bashir, as well as solo and with his string quartet, including in the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Rahim’s music delicately combines traditional Iraqi maqams with contemporary styling and influence. His compositions evoke the experience of exile from his homeland and of new beginnings in his adopted country. His pieces establish new concepts without altering the foundation of the traditional “Iraqi School of Oud”.

Mr. AlHaj has released five CDs. His latest, Home Again (UR Music), is a tour de force of touching and evocative original compositions portraying his trip to Iraq after 13 years in exile. When the Soul is Settled: Music of Iraq (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings) garnered a 2008 Grammy® nomination in the Best Traditional World Music Recording category. Don Heckman, reviewing the CD for the Los Angeles Times, wrote: “Alhaj’s spontaneous inventions are constantly fascinating — a convincing affirmation of the rich culture of an embattled area of the world.” (January 7, 2007). His earlier recordings include Friendship: Oud and Sadaqa String Quartet (UR Music 2005), a unique East and West musical collaboration, The Second Baghdad (2002) and Iraqi Music in a Time of War”, (2003). Rahim’s next release, a duet recording with sarod master Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, will be released in late 2008/early 2009 on UR Music.

Rahim won the Albuquerque Arts Alliance Bravo Award 2003 for Excellence in Music and was dubbed: “The Prophet with an Oud” by a music reviewer at the College of William and Mary. There have been a number of recent national articles about his life and musical message including, PRI’s The World (November 2008), CNN (July 2008), BBC Radio (September 2008), Los Angeles Times (January 2007), Global Rhythm (January 2007), Time Out New York (December 13, 2006), NPR All Things Considered (December 2006), Times of London (December 2006), Smithsonian Magazine (November 2006) Village Voice Top Picks for 2006 and CMJ’s New World Top Ten (February 2007). Mr. AlHaj’s CD’s have become best sellers and are frequently featured on national radio shows and movies worldwide, including the BBC, NPR All Things Considered & Studio 360, ABC National Radio Australia, and PRI’s Democracy Now with Amy Goodman.

Daniel Martin Varisco