Rahim AlHaj, virtuoso ud musician and composer, was born in Baghdad, Iraq and began playing the ud at age nine. Early on, it was clear that he had a remarkable talent for playing the ud. Alhaj studied under the renowned Munir Bashir, considered by many to be the greatest ud player ever, and Salim Abdul Kareem, at the Institute of Music in Baghdad, Iraq.
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 United States of America in 2000 as a political refugee and has resided in Albuquerque, New Mexico ever since. Rahim became a U.S. citizen on August 15, 2008.
Rahim AlHaj has performed around the world and is considered one of the finest oud players in the world. He has won many honors and awards including two Grammy nominations. Rahim has recorded and performed with other master musicians of varied backgrounds and styles including multi-faceted American guitarist Bill Frisell, modern accordion innovator Guy Klucevsek, Indian sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and indie-rock pioneers REM.
He has composed pieces for solo ud, string quartet, symphony and beyond. 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”.
His discography includes earlier works such as The Second Baghdad (2002), the live CD Iraqi Music in a Time of War (2003), and Friendship: Oud and Sadaqa String Quartet (2005), a unique East and West musical collaboration; Home Again (UR Music, 2008) features original compositions portraying his trip to Iraq after 13 years in exile. His March 2009 release, Ancient Sounds (UR Music), a duet recording with Amjad Ali Khan, was nominated for a 2010 Grammy in the Best Traditional World Music Recording category.
When the Soul is Settled: Music of Iraq released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings was also nominated for a Grammy in 2008.
The album Ancient Sounds (2009) featured a collaboration between Rahim AlHaj and acclaimed Indian sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan. It was a set of duets, accompanied by percussion.
In November of 2009 he released a special recording Under The Rose with Ottmar Liebert, Jon Gagan and Barrett Martin, with all net proceeds benefiting Direct Aid Iraq.
Rahim is featured in the 2009 documentary film on Smithsonian Folkways Records. Capping off an artistically fruitful 2009, Rahim was awarded the prestigious U.S. Artist Ford Fellowship Grant on December 14th.
Little Earth: Voices For Peace was released in 2010. The project features Rahim’s original compositions in collaboration with Bill Frisell, Klucevsek, REM, Maria De Barros, Liu Fang, Robert Mirabal, Hossein Omoumi, The Santa Fe Guitar Quartet and many more.
AlHaj began writing ‘Letters From Iraq’ after reading heartbreaking personal letters he received from Iraqi women and children during a 2014 trip to his homeland — his first in a decade and only his second since leaving the country. They told of the American occupation and the factional violence that arose in its aftermath. One story came to AlHaj in person, relayed by a handicapped nephew who had been trapped during a car bombing and firefight. With ‘Letters From Iraq,’ the virtuoso musician creates chamber music using his ud, strings, and percussion to portray a city in crisis but not without hope.
‘Letters From Iraq’ includes AlHaj’s detailed notes revealing the painful stories that inspired each composition. The album was recorded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where AlHaj has lived since receiving political asylum in 2000. A 40-page booklet with artwork by exiled Iraqi artist Riyadh Neama and notes in both Arabic and English by D.A. Sonneborn, associate director at the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, accompanies the music.
‘Letters from Iraq’ was AlHaj’s 11th album and his second for Smithsonian Folkways.
In 2015, he received the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship.
Discography:
* The Second Baghdad (2002)
* Iraqi Music in a Time of War (2003)
* Friendship (2005)
* Home Again (UR Music, 2008)
* When the Soul Is Settled: Music of Iraq
* Ancient Sounds (UR Music, 2009)
* Under The Rose (2009)
* Little Earth (Ur Music, 2010)
* Journey (UR Music, 2014)
* Infinite Hope (Ur Music, 2016)
* Letters from Iraq (Smithsonian Folkways, 2017)
website: www.rahimalhaj.com
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.