Kadim Al Sahir in Istanbul

Kadim Al Sahir is an Iraqi singer, composer and oud player, born in Mosul in 1957 and raised in Baghdad. His music draws on Arabic pop and tarab, and he is closely associated with settings of poems by Nizar Qabbani. “Ana Wa Laila” and “Zidini Ishqan” are among his best-known songs. A concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall was released as a live album, documenting his orchestral concert repertoire. His later appearances included Jordan’s Jerash Festival and Mawazine in Rabat, where his songs reached audiences across the Arabic-speaking world.