Rahim Alhaj's Letters in Music




Today I read an article about a man named Rahim Alhaj, an Iraqi musician who is now trying to make a difference in the world. While living in Iraq, he openly spoke out against governmental policies he, along with many others, opposed. His outspokenness landed him in prison on two separate occasions. He finally fled Iraq in 1991, after being released from his second sentence. His music reflects the recent history of Iraq, including the U.S. occupation of the land. Most notably, his piece “Letters From Iraq” depict this story in a very personal, heart wrenching manner.
“Letters From Iraq”, likely his most famous composition(s), was inspired by eight letters he received from those who were deeply connected to the conflicts in Iraq. By writing music that portrays these struggles, Alhaj feels he is able to spread awareness about both the political and military conflicts at work in his home country. After listening to some of the music myself, I can wholeheartedly say that he achieves his goal here. Although all eight compositions have not yet universally released, a sample of “Eastern Love”, the first of the eight pieces, beautifully depicted the pain, suffering, and even love of those who wrote the letters that inspired Alhaj.


Source: Gomez, Adrian. “Musician who fled Iraq in 1991 is trying to ‘make a difference’.” Editorial. Albuquerque Journal. Last modified March 10, 2017. Accessed March 22, 2017. https://www.abqjournal.com/964957/iraq.html.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 4, 2017 at 9:07 PM

    Alhaj's story reminds me of a contemporary Tunisian singer, Emel Mathlouthi, who also sang in protest against her government. Mathlouthi's songs focused on inner strength and endurance to inspire protesters during the Jasmine Revolution, and she had the backing of a fully fledged movement. Comparatively, Alhaj's outspokenness seems like it would require especially profound courage since he did not have that same support. Furthermore, while Mathlouthi did experience government pushback when her songs were banned from national radio and television, Alhaj appears to have suffered more for speaking his political beliefs. Another similarity is that both artists work abroad to spread awareness of political conflicts - however, Mathlouthi has recently advocated for the sake of Syrians rather than Tunisia since Tunisia's last major conflict, the Jasmine Revolution, was successfully resolved. I hope that one day soon Iraq will also find peace and Alhaj will be able to return to his homeland.

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