Kadim Al Sahir

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Kadim Al Sahir
Background information
Birth name	Kadim Jabbar Al Samarai كاظم جبار إبراهيم السامرائي
Born	(1957-09-12) September 12, 1957 (age 63)
Origin	Mosul, Iraq
Genres	Classical crossover, Arab pop, operatic pop, folk pop, world
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, singer, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, oud
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Music Box Al-Nazaer Stallions Music Master Relax-In Rotana Platinum Records (mbc) Awakening Akurama Records HP Records Musica Studio's Universal Music
Associated acts	Sarah Brightman, Lenny Kravitz

Kadim Jabbar Al Samarai (born September 12, 1957), better known by his artistic name Kadim Al Sahir (Arabic: كاظم الساهر‎), is an Iraqi singer, composer and songwriter. He has been dubbed The Caesar of Arabic songs and Iraq's Ambassador to the world.

Kadim Al Sahir has established himself as one of the most successful singers in the history of the Arab World, since the start of his career, with over 100 million albums sold and the highest-attended Arabic concert of all time. Ranging from big romantic ballads to more political work, from pop to Arab classical music. In 2003, according to an international poll conducted by BBC, more than half-a million people from 165 countries voted his composition Ana Wa Laila (Me and Laila), his most famous song about his love for Laila, as the sixth in the world's top 10 most popular songs of all time.^[1]

He 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. His father lived in Baghdad, but was a Samarra native from the tribe of his mother from Najaf. He grew up and spent a large part of his life in Al-Hurrya neighborhood in Baghdad. He is the son of a palace worker and has nine siblings.

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.^[2]

Early life[]

He excelled in his studies and entered the Teachers Institute where he graduated in 1978 and was appointed as a teacher in a school in Mosul. He taught Music lesson in the region where he was introduced to the beautiful nature of the Kurdistan Region. His interest in music grew as he listened to songs via the radio that offered him the chance to become familiar with the works of composers such as Mohammed Abdel Wahab.

Kadim wrote his first song at twelve, a romantic piece in the classical style, composed for a girl he liked. He used to work with his father in early age after school to help the family. At age twenty-one he enrolled at the Baghdad Institute of Music where he studied for around six years.

When he was ten, he began writing songs. After selling his bicycle, Al Sahir purchased a guitar at the age of twelve, and began learning the arts of the guitar for about three months before writing a classical song. It was his first instrument.^[3]

He later switched to the oud, a much more common instrument, and was accepted into the Baghdad Music Academy at the age of twenty-one. Although keen to break through in the music business with his songs and voice, he found himself rebuffed by all the producers he approached, who would only let him sing their own material. Instead, he used the back door to gain entry to the industry.

Professional career[]

1987–1995: Rise to fame[]

Before he entered the Baghdad Academy of Music, Al Sahir's self-education through the radio had given him a firm grounding in the rich repertoire of mid-twentieth-century Arab vocal music. He became deeply familiar with both classical Arab music, whose main representatives were Egyptian and Lebanese, and the Iraqi maqam repertoire, a local art form featuring vocal virtuosity and a vast repertoire. This solid grounding in traditional musical styles informs his work as both a singer and a composer.

One of his first videos was made in collaboration with one of his friends that happened to be a television director. The song in question was "Ladghat El Hayya" (The Snake Bite), which was broadcast on Iraqi television in 1987, one year before the end of the Iran–Iraq War. The song was the source of a major controversy due to particular sensitivities that were common during that era. Iraqi television officials asked him to either change the lyrics or have it banned. His refusal to change the lyrics and its consequent ban only helped to increase the popularity of the song.^{[citation needed]} He began giving concerts all over The Gulf and recording his music with Kuwaiti labels.

A year later, he had a hit with "Obart Al Shat" (I crossed the river). Some of his professors at the Academy denounced it as sha'bi (pop) music, anathema to those who taught classical music. Al Sahir had managed to circumvent the system and had become a star on his own terms—he even undertook his first US tour in 1989. Having conquered pop, Al Sahir turned around and established himself in the Arabic classical world with "La Ya Sadiki" (No, My Friend), a magnum opus that lasted almost an hour and found him using maqams (scales) that hadn't been used in Iraqi music in several decades, revitalizing a tradition.^{[citation needed]}

In 1991 and due to the Persian Gulf War, Al Sahir transferred his base of operations to Jordan where he lived with his family for a few years. He considers living in Jordan as an important period of his life and career success later on. Al Sahir performed some of his most successful concerts which were held in Jerash and produced two successful albums at 's Studios in Amman, Jordan.

1995–2000: Breakthrough[]

After that he moved to Lebanon, where he met and formed a songwriting partnership with Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani^[4] in 1996, who wrote lyrics to his music, before settling permanently in Cairo. Nizar Qabbani, who previously wrote lyrics to 1960s-1970s super-stars like Abdel Halim Hafez and Najat Al Saghira,^[5] 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 the biggest name in Middle Eastern music, one whose ballads grew bigger and more romantic, but who would 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 and Lenny Kravitz. He continues to live abroad, residing alternately in Cairo, Dubai, Paris, and Toronto.

While still a fan of large orchestras, whose sweep helps define his music, he has remained open to technological innovation, even going so far as to allow a remix (by fusionists Transglobal Underground) of his song "La Titnahad", taken from his 2000 release El Hob El Moustahil (The Impossible Love), the first of his albums to be given an official American release. Kadim Al Sahir is the most famous actor in Iraq.

2004–present: Collaborations[]

In 2004, Al Sahir collaborated with Lenny Kravitz 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, which was released on her album Harem and his album Hafiat Al-Kadamain which was highly praised in the middle east. 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, 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 recording artist Karina Pasian, and Luis Conte, produced by KC Porter and Dawn Elder.^[6]

In 2004, he participated in the worldwide broadcast concert special "We are the Future" concert 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 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, shoot as a video clip by Husien Duibes and it was a major hit in the year 2004 alongside the song "Ila Tilmitha"

Major achievements on the artistic and humanitarian level, we were able to raise your interest and convince you that he definitely deserves to be awarded the AUB Honorary Doctorate in the field of Arts and Culture for the year 2006. The United Nations Children's Fund, or 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^[7]

He sang Bokra "Tomorrow", a charity single that was released on November 11, 2011, at 11:11 pm, along with Rim Banna, Akon, Tamer Hosni, Diana Karazon, Marwan Khoury, Latifa, Souad Massi, Hani Mitwassi, Saber El Robai, Wa'ed, Sherine and other Arab artists. The single will distribute the proceeds of its donations to various organisations, institutions and charities with arts and culture programs. The eight-minute song was written by Majida Al-Roumi, and produced by Quincy Jones and RedOne.

Kadim Al Sahir performing in Abha, Saudi Arabia in Aug 26, 2019

He is 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 Abu Dhabi cultural foundation, he performed (solo without his band) his first virtual concert in 2020 due to the pandemic, however, it was in a hybrid interview style.^[8]

In 2020, he became the cover of Vogue Man Arabia.^[9]

Personal life[]

Al Sahir's father worked in a local palace, and although his government wage did not benefit him, he raised ten children, with Al Sahir being the youngest of eight brothers. He got married at early age, and is divorced.

Al Sahir left Iraq in the early 90s after the Gulf War. He does not have a permanent residence and frequently moves mainly between Cairo, Dubai, Beirut and Paris. He has two sons, Wisam Al Sahir, who is married, and Omar Al Sahir.

Kadim is also a grandfather to Wisam's daughter Sana.^[10]

In February 2019, Kadim officially asked to change his last name from Al Samarai to Al Sahir.^[11]

Discography[]

Albums[]

• Shajarat Al Zaytoon (The Olive Tree) (1984)
• Ghazal (Gazelle) (1989) [Music Box International]
• Al Aziz (The Beloved) (1990) [Al-Nazaer Media Group]
• Efrah (Be Happy) (1992) [Stallions Records]
• La Ya Sadiki (No, My Friend) (1993) [Music Master]
• Banat Alaeibak (Your Tricks are Over) (1993) [Stallions Records]
• Salamtak Min El Ah (Your Safety From Hardships) (1994) [Rotana Records]
• Baad ElHob (After Love) (1995) [Relax-In Records]
• Fi Madrasat Al Hob (In the School of Love) (1996) [Rotana Records]
• Aghsilly Bilbard (Wash My Heart With Hail) (1997) [Rotana Records]
• Ana Wa Laila (Laila and I) (November 28, 1997) [Rotana Records]
• Habibati Wal Matar (My Love and the Rain) (January 1, 1999) [Rotana Records]
• Al Hob Al Mustaheel (The Impossible Love) (July 27, 2000) [Rotana Records]
• Abhathu Anki (Looking For You) (September 28, 2001) [Rotana Records]
• Qissat Habibain (A Story of Two Lovers) (January 1, 2002) [Rotana Records]
• Hafiat Al Kadamain (Barefooted) (June 29, 2003) [Rotana Records]
• Ila Tilmitha (To a Student) (November 11, 2004) [Rotana Records]
• Entaha Almeshwar (The Journey Is Over) (November 1, 2005) [Rotana Records]
• Yawmyat Rajoul Mahzoom (Diary of a Defeated Man) (March 29, 2007) [Rotana Records]
• Sowar (Pictures) (September 29, 2008) [Rotana Records]
• Al Rassem Bil Kalimat (Drawing with Words) (October 12, 2009) [Rotana Records]
• Latizidih Lawa'a (Don't Add Anguish to Him) (January 2, 2011) [Rotana Records]
• Kitab Al Hob (The Book of Love) (September 20, 2016) [Platinum Records]

International concerts[]

Kadim Al Sahir tours around the world where he performs for his Arab fans. Kathem performed in many foreign countries including USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Australia and England. He has performed in these venues:

• Royal Albert Hall in 1997, 2004 and 2006.
• Sydney Opera House, 2002.
• 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, 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 in January 2019 (Middle East Eye)

References[]

External links[]

• Kadim Al Sahir on Facebook
• Kadim Al Sahir on Twitter
• Kadim Al Sahir on Instagram
• Kadim Al Sahir on Spotify