Rahim AlHaj ( ar, رحيم الحاج, born c. 1968) is an Iraqi American oud musician and composer.

Early life

AlHaj was born 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 ...

, Iraq and began playing the oud (an Arabic lute) at age nine. Early on, it was evident that he had a remarkable talent for playing the oud.

Education

AlHaj studied under the renowned

Munir Bashir Munir Bashir, ( ar, منير بشير, syr, ܡܘܢܝܪ ܒܫܝܪ) (1930 – September 28, 1997) was an Iraqi Assyrian musician and one of the most famous musicians in the Middle East during the 20th century and was considered to be the supreme m ...

, considered by many to be the greatest oud 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 also holds a degree in Arabic literature from Mustansiriya University in Baghdad.

Emigration

In 1991, after the

first Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, AlHaj was forced to leave Iraq due to his political activism against the

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...

regime and began his life in Jordan and Syria. He moved to the U.S. in 2000 as a political refugee and has resided in

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, New Mexico, ever since. He became a

U.S. citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

on August 16, 2008.

Career

AlHaj has performed all over the world, on tour with

, his teacher, as well as solo and with his string quartet project, including numerous concerts in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, and France and hundreds of concerts in the United States. AlHaj has released several recordings. ''The Second Baghdad'', released in 2002, and ''Iraqi Music in a Time of War'', released in 2003, were both produced by VoxLox record label. His East meets West CD entitled ''Friendship'' (Rahim AlHaj, Oud & Sadaqa Quartet) was released in December 2005 by Fast Horse Recordings. His ''When the Soul is Settled: Music of Iraq'', produced by

Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fou ...

, was released in June 2006, and nominated for a 2008

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 pres ...

. An ''oud'' and ''

sarod The sarod is a stringed instrument, used in Hindustani music on the Indian subcontinent. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments. It is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet ...

'' CD with Amjad Ali Khan will be released later in the year. AlHaj's music delicately combines traditional Iraqi maqams with contemporary styling and influence. His compositions are about the experience of exile from his homeland and of new beginnings in his adopted country. He is one of the true oud masters from Iraq. AlHaj says that "my music invites the listener to discover the true spirit of the musician." His compositions are about loss, hope, freedom, and longing. His songs establish new concepts without altering the foundation of the traditional Iraqi School of oud based in Baghdad. AlHaj wrote and performed the music for the award-winning short documentary, ''The Rest of My Life: Stories of Trauma Survivors''.

Awards

*2015: Recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

*2010: Grammy nomination for Best Traditional World Music Album *2009: United States Artists Fellow Award in Music *2008: Grammy nomination for Best Traditional World Music Album *2003: Winner of the Bravo Award for Excellence in Music *2001: Award from Veterans for Peace for work towards peace *1988: Music Institute Award for Composition

References

External links

*
Rahim AlHaj's Music at ListeningLounge
performance on June 6, 2006
Rahim Alhaj "featured artist profile" on Smithsonian Folkways

Interviews

Rahim AlHaj interview
from ''Weekend America'' radio program, May 15, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Alhaj, Rahim 1968 births Living people American male composers American oud players Iraqi composers Iraqi emigrants to the United States Iraqi oud players Musicians from Baghdad Musicians from Albuquerque, New Mexico Al-Mustansiriya University alumni National Heritage Fellowship winners