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

Early life

AlHaj was born in

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

, 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 (; ; 1930 – September 28, 1997) was an Iraqi-Assyrian oudist. Bashir is considered one of the foremost virtuosos of the Arabic oud, and is widely renowned as one of the most important figures in 20th century Middle Eastern music. ...

, considered by many to be the greatest oud player ever, and Salim Abdul Kareem, at the Institute of Music in

, 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 (1990–1991) was an armed conflict between Iraq and a multinational military coalition led by the United States, triggered by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Persian Gulf War may also refer to: * Shatt al-Arab conflict ...

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

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

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 ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

, 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 Consti ...

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 f ...

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

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

. 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 Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (born 9 October 1945) is an Indian classical ''sarod'' player, best known for his clear and fast ekhara taans. Khan was born into a classical musical family (the Bangash lineage of the Senia Gharana) and has performed ...

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 The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...

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 feder ...

*2010: Grammy nomination for Best Traditional World Music Album *2009:

United States Artists United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards. Mission The organization' ...

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

*
Kennedy Center
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:Haj, 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