"Eastern Love" by Rahim AlHaj; Letters from Iraq; Ahmad Mukhtar, Iraqi Cafe; Rabih Abou Khalil, Yara; Chorly, Lalla; Yair Dalal; Oud, 'Ud

Rahim AlHaj performing "Eastern Love" from "Letters from Iraq" on Smithsonian Folkways.

"Letters from Iraq expresses the love and pain of lives lived by the people of war-torn Iraq. Actual mailed letters and their stories are transposed into eight gripping programmatic compositions by Iraqi-American composer and oud player, Rahim AlHaj with string quintet (2 violins, viola, cello, contrabass) and percussion. He says, “Music can make us laugh, make us cry, make us march into war. I want to make music to make us realize peace.” These recordings are of deep emotion and great beauty, melding mastery of Iraqi and Western classical genres alike to form something entirely new".


"Rast" by Rahim Alhaj and Souhail Kaspar

"The oud, a traditional Middle Eastern string instrument, is over 5,000 years old and the ancestor of many other string instruments. In this video, Rahim Alhaj, Iraqi oud virtuoso and composer plays, accompanied by master percussionist Souhail Kaspar. It is a glimpse into recording sessions for Alhaj's When the Soul is Settled: Music of Iraq".


See/hear also- 

Ahmad Mukhtar Iraqi Cafe احمد مختار مقهى عراقي

More from Ahmad Mukhtar

The Oud Master- اصل مقام كاركرد - احمد مختار

Ahmed Mukhtar - Raqsat albedoi

Rabih Abou Khalil - Blue Camel

Rabih Abou Khalil - Yara

Rabih Abou Khalil - Requiem

Chorly - Lalla

Yair Dalal, Maqam Panjouka

Yair Dalal and the Mediterranean Orchestra H.D "יאיר דלאל "דרך הבשמים