Music of Iraq
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The music of Iraq or Iraqi music, (
Iraq is recognized mainly for three instruments, the
History
Instruments
In 1929, archaeologists led by the British archaeologist
Neo-Assyria (911-612 BCE). | |
String instrument | |
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Classification | Struck |
Related instruments | |
Qanun |
Classical Iraqi music
Iraqi classical music necessitates some discussion of the social environment, as well as references to the poetry. Poetry is always rendered clearly. Poetry is the art of the Iraqis, and sung poetry is the finest of all. In Baghdad from 760 to 1260, writers spurned musical notation.[8] The music is melodically modal, and moves in a stepwise motion with repeated notes. Use of the lower end of a melodic range is characteristic, as is the use of silence; one listens through the silence. Following a cadence, the singer moves up to the next range of pitches. An arch shape is discernible, and the work ends in the original mode.
Singers of the Baghdad Court were praised for their excellence in composition, their knowledge of history and songs, and their ornaments and innovations. There was support for female singers and orators, such as Arib, a skilled poet, calligrapher, lutenist, composer, and backgammon player who wrote more than one thousand songs. The common instrument (comparable in popularity to the piano or violin in the west) is the oud. Classical Iraqi music is identifiable by the genre/canon, and by how it is performed.
Historically, music would have been played for gatherings of men. With the advent of the sound recording industry, things have changed somewhat. Today one invites musicians to perform at weddings; by the first quarter of the century, concerts were being staged at concert venues.
Maqam
Across the Arab world, . Baghdad's Chalgi ensembles typically include the djose and ney, and may also utilize an oud.
History
The roots of modern
The
The most popular modern singers of maqam are
Modern era
In 1936, Iraq Radio was established by two of Iraq's most prominent performers and composers, the Kuwaiti-born Iraqi musicians, Saleh and Daoud al-Kuwaity with an ensemble, with the exception of the percussion player. The nightclubs of Baghdad also featured almost entirely Jewish musicians. At these nightclubs, ensembles consisted of oud, qanun and two percussionists while the same format with ney and cello were used on the radio.[9]
One of the reasons for the predominance of Jewish instrumentalists in early 20th century Iraqi music was a prominent school for
The most famous singer of the 1930s–1940s was perhaps Salima Pasha.[9][10] The respect and adoration for Pasha were unusual at the time, since public performance by women was considered shameful and most female singers were recruited from brothels.[9]
Numerous instrumentalists and singers of the middle and late twentieth century were trained at the Baghdad Conservatory.
In recent years the Iraqi school of oud players has become very prominent, with players such as Salman Shukur and Munir Bashir developing a very refined and delicate style of playing combining older Arabic elements with more recent Anatolian influences.
Pop music
Until the fall of Saddam Hussein, the most popular radio station was the Voice of Youth, which used to play the popular music of Iraq to continue the culture of the country. The station also played a mix of rock, hip hop and pop music,[11] all of which had to be imported via Jordan due to international economic sanctions. Irish bands The Corrs and Westlife were especially popular. Iraq also produced a major pan-Arab pop star in exile in Kadim Al Sahir, whose songs include Ladghat-e Hayya, which was banned by Hussein for its racy lyrical content.
Other modern Iraqi singers include
.Effect of 2003 Iraq War
After the 2003 invasion of Iraq and fall of Saddam Hussein, and with some religious figures coming to power, concerts were forbidden in areas considered as "conservative". However, since 2018, many concert were held in different areas throughout the country. In 2021, Babylon arts festival was held for the first time in almost 20 years. Performers were from Iraq, Middle East, Europe and Africa.[12]
Important musicians
References
- ^ Damien, Fares (2018-08-26). "Playlist: A Brief Introduction to Iraqi Music". Project Revolver. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ISBN 978-3-89646-259-6.
- ^ "Ancient Iraqi harp reproduced by Liverpool engineers - University of Liverpool". 2010-07-01. Archived from the original on 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ "Bill Taylor - Harpist | Lyre of Ur". 2011-06-11. Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ "lyre | British Museum". The British Museum. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ "Visit the Penn Museum". Visit Philadelphia. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ "Visit the Penn Museum". Visit Philadelphia. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ Classical Music in Iraq Virginia Danielson, Harvard University
- ^ a b c Kojaman, Yeheskel. "Jewish Role in Iraqi Music". Retrieved 2007-09-09.
- ^ Manasseh, Sara (February 2004), "An Iraqi samai of Salim Al-Nur" (PDF), Newsletter, no. 3, London: Arts and Humanities Research Board Research Centre for Cross-Cultural Music and Dance Performance, p. 7, archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2005, retrieved 2007-09-09 .
- ^ Tarlach, Gemma (2003-04-27). "Freedom could unlock doors for Iraqi artists' creativity". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2021-10-06 – via iraq4u.com.
- ^ "Iraq's Babylon arts festival back after almost 20 years". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
Further reading
- Badley, Bill and Zein al Jundi. "Europe Meets Asia". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 391–395. Rough Guides Ltd, ISBN 1-85828-636-0
External links
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Iraq's classical and gypsy music traditions. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Ilham Al-Madfai. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Iraq4u Music
- Sephardic Pizmonim Project by Jewish community of the Middle East.