Kadim Jabbar Al Samarai (born September 12, 1957), better known by his stage name Kadim Al Sahir ( ar, كاظم الساهر}), is an
Iraqi singer and composer.
He typically performs with an orchestra of twenty to thirty musicians on Arabic percussion, oud, qanun, nay, and a full complement of strings (violin, cello, and bass). While some of his work makes use of electronic musical sounds, he avoids the use of synthesizers to imitate acoustic instruments. His work frequently features Iraqi folk instruments, rhythms and melodies.
Biography
Al Sahir was born in
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second larg ...
,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
on September 12, 1957, to a Sunni father and a Shia mother from Najaf. His father lived in
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
but was a
Samarra native from the tribe of
Darraj. Kadhem Al Sahir grew up and spent a large part of his life in Al-Hurrya neighborhood in Baghdad.
Apart from his mother, Al Sahir's family were never supportive of his direction in becoming a musician. They had no faith in him that he would become successful, and instead wanted him to become a doctor or a lawyer. Saher's brother once took him to different places where people usually sang, and told him it's your choice to sing a respectful way or you can choose to do it the bad way. He said that the only way to achieve success is if you respect your music and respect yourself.
Al Sahir left Iraq in the early 90s after the
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
. He did not have a permanent residence and frequently moved, mainly between
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
,
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
, and
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, though as of 2022 he settled with his family in
Rabat,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
. He has two sons, Wisam and Omar Al Sahir, both of them married.
Kadim is also a grandfather to Wisam's daughter Sana.
In February 2019, Kadim officially asked to change his last name from Al Samarai to Al Sahir.
Professional career
1995–2000
He later moved to
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, where he met and formed a songwriting partnership with Syrian poet
Nizar Qabbani
Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani ( ar, نزار توفيق قباني, , french: Nizar Kabbani; 21 March 1923 – 30 April 1998) was a Syrian diplomat, poet, writer and publisher. He is considered to be Syria's National Poet. His poetic style combines sim ...
in 1996; Qabbani wrote lyrics to his music before settling permanently in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
. Qabbani, who previously wrote lyrics for superstars of the 1960s and 1970s like
Abdel Halim Hafez
Abdel Halim Ali Shabana ( ar, عبد الحليم علي شبانة), commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez ( ar, عبد الحليم حافظ,) (June 21, 1929 – March 30, 1977), was an Egyptian singer, actor, conductor, businessman, music teach ...
and
Najat Al Saghira
Nagat El-Sagheera ( arz, نجاة الصغيرة; born Nagah Hosni Elbaba on 11 August 1938; alternative spelling: El Saghirah) is an Egyptian singer and actress. She retired from filming in 1976 and from singing in 2002. Nagat began her career ...
, wrote the lyrics to more than 30 of Al Sahir's songs. In addition to Qabbani's poems, Al Sahir sang both political and romantic songs for Iraq and Baghdad, highlighting the feelings of the citizens of Iraq as well as their tragedies.
Al Sahir continued to release albums and tour, having become a big name in Middle Eastern music. His
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s grew bigger and more romantic, but he would also write classically influenced works, even when they might hurt his popularity.
By 1998, he had ten albums under his belt and was lauded as an artist, not just a pop star. That prestige brought him wider fame and a growing international reputation that won him a
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
award for his song "''Tathakkar''", which he performed in the U.S. for
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
and the United Nations–one of the first real post-Gulf War cultural exchanges. The following year, he recorded a tribute to the Pope with the Italian Symphony Orchestra.
Releasing numerous albums and touring extensively, Al Sahir has become both a high-grossing superstar and a respected musical artist. His reputation has continued to grow through collaborations with European and North American artists, including
Sarah Brightman and
Lenny Kravitz. He continues to live abroad, residing alternately in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
,
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, and
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
.
2004–present: Collaborations
Following the
U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Al Sahir's music changed to reflect new regional and global attention to Iraq during wartime. As scholar Christopher Phillips writes in ''Everyday Arab Identity'' (2012):
"Although Iraqi singers were not historically that well known due to their isolation from the wider Arab world during Saddam Hussein’s rule, Kathem al-Saher made a name for himself after 2003, singing in classical Arabic, often about the destruction of Iraq under occupation and war. His success might indicate a certain level of Arab solidarity, with viewers opting to show their support for Iraq through the purchase of songs depicting its misfortune."
In 2004, Al Sahir collaborated with
Lenny Kravitz and released an anti-war song at
Rock The Vote
Rock the Vote is a non-profit progressive-aligned organization in the United States whose stated mission is "to engage and build the political power of young Americans."
The organization was founded in 1990 by Virgin Records America Co-Chairman ...
, titled "We Want Peace", and shortly afterward released a song entitled "The War Is Over" (Entahat al harab) with
Sarah Brightman, which was released on her album
Harem
Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...
and his album
Hafiat Al-Kadamain
''Hafiat Al-Kadamain'' is the sixteenth album by Kadim Al Sahir, released on June 29, 2003. The album contains the international successful single "The War Is Over", featuring Sarah Brightman.
Track listing
External linksKadim Al-Sahir: Ila ...
. Both of these international duets were executive produced by Dergham Owainati, of
EMI Music Arabia
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 2012 ...
, for Kadim's part.
In 2004, Al Sahir continued to work with various international artists including
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
-winning producers
KC Porter
Karl Cameron Porter, known as ''K.C'' (born June 27, 1962), is an American record producer, singer-songwriter, arranger and composer, winner of six Grammy Awards and two Latin Grammy Awards. Porter has worked on more than 40 albums with sales in ...
, and
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
. His collaboration "Love & Compassion" (Hob Wa Haneen) was the title track for the
Arab American National Museum
The Arab American National Museum (AANM, ar, المتحف الوطني العربي الأمريكي) opened in 2005 and is the first museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, the Museum se ...
Collector's edition honoring the artists that have made the most significant difference with international audiences. The track features Grammy winning singer/songwriter
Paula Cole
Paula Cole (born April 5, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. After gaining attention for her performances as a vocalist on Peter Gabriel's 1993–1994 Secret World Tour, she released her first album, ''Harbinger'', which suffered from a la ...
,
Def Jam recording artist
Karina Pasian
Karina Pasian (born July 18, 1991) is an American singer.
Life and career
Karina Pasian was born in New York City and is of Dominican descent. Her first language was Russian, and she can sing in six other languages, including English, Spanis ...
, and
Luis Conte
Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best-known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began ...
and was produced by
KC Porter
Karl Cameron Porter, known as ''K.C'' (born June 27, 1962), is an American record producer, singer-songwriter, arranger and composer, winner of six Grammy Awards and two Latin Grammy Awards. Porter has worked on more than 40 albums with sales in ...
and
Dawn Elder.
[Kadim (Kazem) Al Sahir](_blank)
. StayTunedTV.com (September 12, 1957). Retrieved on 2011-11-19.
In 2004, he participated in the worldwide broadcast concert special "We are the Future" produced by Quincy Jones and coordinated by Dawn Elder at the Roman Maximos Stadium in Rome for the benefit of the children of the world. In December 2004, he participated in the opening of the Gulf Football Championship (Khaleeji 17) in which he performed the return of Iraq Operette which was broadcast live on 10 satellite channels. Additionally, in 2004, he was the first Arab artist to participate in ''Unity'', the official album of the
2004 Summer Olympics.
Releasing his album
Ila Tilmitha
''Ila Tilmitha'' is the sixteenth album by Kathem Al Saher, released on November 11, 2004. The album contains collaborations with Asmaa Lemnawar.
Track listing
External linksKazem Al-Saher: Ila Tilmitha albumat shamra.com Lyrics and videos ...
on November 11, 2004. The album contains collaborations with the Moroccan
Asma Lamnawar
Asma Lamnawar ( ar, أسماء لمنور; born 25 July 1978) is a Moroccan singer. She made her singing debut in 1995 with "Angham", a festival produced by Moroccan Radio and TV, where she won the prize for best interpretation, though she delay ...
whom Kadim Al Sahir discovered earlier and introduced to the Arab world in her first due song with Kadim "ashko ayaman". The album also included the song "Ahbeni," written by poet Nizar Qabbani, shot as a video clip by Husien Duibes; it became a major hit in the year 2004 alongside the song "Ila Tilmitha."
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
named Al Sahir as the new
Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a publ ...
for Iraq for the year 2011. For Al Sahir, this was a compelling reason to visit his country after 14 years
He sang Bokra ("Tomorrow"), a charity single that was released on November 11, 2011, at 11:11 pm, along with
Rim Banna,
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P ...
,
Tamer Hosni,
Diana Karazon
Diana Karazon ( ar, ديانا كرزون; born October 30, 1983) is a Jordanian singer of Arabic pop, television host, and actress. She won ''Superstar'', the Arabic version of ''Pop Idol''.
Karazon was born in Kuwait City, Kuwait, but her ori ...
,
Marwan Khoury
Marwan Khoury ( ar, مروان خوري; born February 3, 1968) is a Lebanese singer, writer, composer and music arranger. He has composed hits for artists such as Majida El Roumi, Saber Rebaï, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Assala Nasri, Najwa Karam, Fa ...
,
Latifa,
Souad Massi
Souad Massi (سعاد ماسي; born August 23, 1972), is an Algerian Berber singer, songwriter and guitarist. She began her career performing in the Kabyle political rock band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death thre ...
,
Hani Mitwassi,
Saber El Robai,
Wa'ed,
Sherine, and other Arab artists. The single distributed the proceeds of its donations to various organisations, especially institutions and charities with arts and culture programs. The eight-minute song was written by
Majida Al-Roumi and was produced by
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
and
RedOne.
![Kadim Al Sahir, Alsoudah Season, Abha, KSA - Aug 26, 2019 (04)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Kadim_Al_Sahir%2C_Alsoudah_Season%2C_Abha%2C_KSA_-_Aug_26%2C_2019_%2804%29.jpg)
He debuted as a coach for MBC ''
The Voice Kids
''The Voice Kids'' is a version of ''The Voice'' TV series franchise in which children participate.
Versions
The first such variation was '' The Voice Kids'' from the Netherlands, which was followed by other international variants:
: Franchise wi ...
,'' and his team member Lynn Hayek from Lebanon was the winning contestant in the Season 1 Finale held on March 5, 2016.
In collaboration with an Abu Dhabi cultural foundation, he performed solo in his first virtual hybrid concert in 2020 due to the pandemic.
In 2020, he was the cover start of ''Vogue Man Arabia''.
Discography
Albums
* Shajarat Al Zaytoon (The Olive Tree) (1984)
* Ghazal (Gazelle) (1989)
usic Box International* Al Aziz (The Beloved) (1990)
l-Nazaer Media Group* Hatha Alloun (This Color) (1992)
tallions Records* La Ya Sadiki (No, My Friend) (1993)
usic Master* Banat Alaebak (Your Tricks are Over) (1993)
tallions Records* Salamtak Min El Ah (Your Safety From Hardships) (1994)
otana Records* Baad ElHob (After Love) (1995)
elax-In Records* Eghsely Belbarad (Wash My Heart With Hail) (1996)
otana Records* Fi Madrasat Al Hob (In the School of Love) (November 23, 1996)
otana Records* Ana Wa Laila (Laila and I) (November 28, 1997)
otana Records* Habibati Wal Matar (My Love & The Rain) (January 1, 1999)
otana Records* Al Hob Al Mustaheel (The Impossible Love) (July 27, 2000)
otana Records* Abhathu Anki (Looking For You) (September 28, 2001)
otana Records* Qussat Habebain (A Story of Two Lovers) (January 1, 2002)
otana Records* Hafiat Al Kadamain (Barefooted) (June 29, 2003)
otana Records* Ila Tilmitha (To a Student) (November 11, 2004)
otana Records* Entaha Almeshwar (The Journey Is Over) (November 1, 2005)
otana Records* Yawmyat Rajoul Mahzoom (Diary of a Defeated Man) (March 29, 2007)
otana Records* Sowar (Pictures) (September 29, 2008)
otana Records* Al Rassem Bil Kalimat (Drawing with Words) (October 12, 2009)
otana Records* Latizidih Lawa'a (Don't Add Anguish to Him) (January 2, 2011)
otana Records* Kitab Al Hob (The Book of Love) (September 20, 2016)
latinum Records
This is a list of notable fictional materials from the science fiction universe of '' Star Trek''. Like other aspects of stories in the franchise, some were recurring plot elements from one episode or series to another.
Metals for starship constr ...
International concerts
Kadim Al Sahir tours around the world performing for his mostly Arab fans. He has performed in many countries, including the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, and England. Major venues include:
*
Royal Albert Hall in 1997, 2004 and 2006.
*
Sydney Opera House, 2002 and 2022.
*
Sydney Olympic Park, 2016
*
Beacon Theater in New York 2003.
*
The Circus Maximus in Rome where Kadim was a part of "Live from Rome's Circus Maximus" (May 16, 2004). Participants in this concert included other artists such as
Carlos Santana,
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
,
Norah Jones
Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...
and
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fr ...
. Famous international producer
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
warmly introduced Kadim Al Sahir to Rome's concert attendees whose number exceeded 500,000.
*
Hammersmith Apollo in January 201
(Middle East Eye)
References
External links
*
*
*
Kadim Al Sahiron
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sahir, Kadim al
1957 births
Living people
Iraqi anti-war activists
20th-century Iraqi male singers
Iraqi male film actors
Iraqi male television actors
People from Mosul
Singers who perform in Classical Arabic
Rotana Records artists
Iraqi composers
Iraqi Muslims
21st-century Iraqi male singers