Customer Reviews

Iraqi Music in a Time of War

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Rahim Alhaj plays the oud, an instrument similar in shape to a European lute, and he plays it very well. The sound is throatier than the lute; the strings are thicker and slacker, and the instrument is not fretted. Iraqi classical music uses bent pitches and fractional pitches - quite subtle tunings that take some time to sound "right" - and relies on the sensitive improvisation of the player to make its musical impression.

This is not the best CD to hear Rahim Alhaj's musical range and skill. For that, I recommend his CD "When the Soul is Settled." The numerous short 'songs' on this CD are all, I think, Rahim's own compositions, but what makes this CD distinct is that he introduces each song, in English, by describing the conditions of his country that he wants to reflect in music. The intros are short - a minute, a minute and a half - but poignant.

I recently heard Rahim in concert, and the experience was fantastic. I picked this CD because it is a live recording (rather than a studio recording). I'm very happy with the quality, and also like the format (keeping the spoken introductions, but also keeping them separate so you can skip them after you've heard them a few times).