Kazem Al Sahir
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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, Iraq on September 12, 1957, to a Sunni father and a Shia mother from Najaf. His father lived in Baghdad but was a
Samarra Samarra ( ar, سَامَرَّاء, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The city of Samarra was founded by Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutasim for his Turkish professional army ...
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. He did not have a permanent residence and frequently moved, mainly between Cairo, Dubai, Beirut, and Paris, though as of 2022 he settled with his family in
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
, Morocco. 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, where he met and formed a songwriting partnership with Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani in 1996; Qabbani wrote lyrics to his music before settling permanently in Cairo. Qabbani, who previously wrote lyrics for superstars of the 1960s and 1970s like Abdel Halim Hafez and Najat Al Saghira, 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 ballads 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 award for his song "''Tathakkar''", which he performed in the U.S. for Congress 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 Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer, actress and dancer. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, ...
and
Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk. Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
. He continues to live abroad, residing alternately in Cairo, Dubai, Paris, and Toronto.


2004–present: Collaborations

Following the
U.S. invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
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 Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk. Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
and released an anti-war song at Rock The Vote, titled "We Want Peace", and shortly afterward released a song entitled "The War Is Over" (Entahat al harab) with
Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer, actress and dancer. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, ...
, which was released on her album Harem 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, for Kadim's part. In 2004, Al Sahir continued to work with various international artists including Grammy Award-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. His collaboration "Love & Compassion" (Hob Wa Haneen) was the title track for the Arab American National Museum 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,
Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
recording artist Karina Pasian, and Luis Conte 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 Dawn Elder (San Francisco, California) is an American composer, pianist, impresario, music producer, and promoter best known for her efforts to fuse Middle Eastern music with contemporary rock and roll, rock and pop music. In the 1980s she began ...
.Kadim (Kazem) Al Sahir
. 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 The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
. 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 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 named Al Sahir as the new Goodwill Ambassador 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 Rim Banna ( ar, ريم بنا; 8 December 1966 – 24 March 2018) was a Palestinian singer and composer who was most known for her modern interpretations of traditional Palestinian songs and poetry. Banna was born in Nazareth, where she graduat ...
, Akon, 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,
Latifa Latifa or Lateefa is a feminine Arabic (لٓطِيفٓة) given name which means "gentle" or "pleasant". It corresponds to the masculine Latif. Notable persons Lateefa * Lateefa Al Gaood, Bahraini politician * Lateefah Simon, American activist ...
, Souad Massi, Hani Mitwassi, Saber El Robai, Wa'ed,
Sherine Sherine Sayed Mohamed Abdel-Wahab ( ar, شيرين سيد محمد عبد الوهاب; born October 8, 1980), known professionally by the mononym Sherine ( ar, شيرين), is an Egyptian singer, actress, TV host and personality, and a former ...
, 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 and
RedOne Nadir Khayat ( ar, نادر الخياط; born 9 April 1972), better known by his stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive. As a record producer and songwriter, he has worked with many high-profi ...
. He debuted as a coach for MBC '' The Voice Kids,'' 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 ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Baad ElHob (After Love) (1995) elax-In Records* Eghsely Belbarad (Wash My Heart With Hail) (1996)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Fi Madrasat Al Hob (In the School of Love) (November 23, 1996)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Ana Wa Laila (Laila and I) (November 28, 1997)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Habibati Wal Matar (My Love & The Rain) (January 1, 1999)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Al Hob Al Mustaheel (The Impossible Love) (July 27, 2000)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Abhathu Anki (Looking For You) (September 28, 2001)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Qussat Habebain (A Story of Two Lovers) (January 1, 2002)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Hafiat Al Kadamain (Barefooted) (June 29, 2003)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Ila Tilmitha (To a Student) (November 11, 2004)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Entaha Almeshwar (The Journey Is Over) (November 1, 2005)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Yawmyat Rajoul Mahzoom (Diary of a Defeated Man) (March 29, 2007)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Sowar (Pictures) (September 29, 2008)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Al Rassem Bil Kalimat (Drawing with Words) (October 12, 2009)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Latizidih Lawa'a (Don't Add Anguish to Him) (January 2, 2011)
otana Records ''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'', also known as simply ''X-Wing Alliance'', is a space simulation video game, the sequel to both '' Star Wars: TIE Fighter'' and '' Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the ...
* Kitab Al Hob (The Book of Love) (September 20, 2016) latinum Records


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 The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in 1997, 2004 and 2006. *
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
, 2002 and 2022. *
Sydney Olympic Park Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb of Greater Western Sydney, located 13 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta Council. It is commonly known as Olympic Park but officially na ...
, 2016 * Beacon Theater in New York 2003. *
The Circus Maximus ''The Circus Maximus'' is an album released under the name of American heavy metal band Manilla Road in 1992, after the band had first split up. The album contains the work of Manilla Road founder and frontman Mark Shelton who assembled a new b ...
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 Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...
, Alicia Keys, Norah Jones and Andrea Bocelli. Famous international producer Quincy Jones warmly introduced Kadim Al Sahir to Rome's concert attendees whose number exceeded 500,000. *
Hammersmith Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ham ...
in January 201
(Middle East Eye)


References


External links

* * *
Kadim Al Sahir
on Spotify {{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