Sahar Taha ( ar, سحر طه; 1957–2018) was an Iraqi musician and journalist living in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

. She co-hosted the Lebanese programme ''Banat Hawa'' on

LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadcast ...

. She was known for playing the oud in both eastern and western music.

Early life and career

In 1984 Taha received a MA in Business Administration 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 ...

, followed by a degree in oud and singing from the National Conservatory of Lebanon in 1989. In addition to her career in music, Taha was a writer for various

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

and Lebanese newspapers and had been writing for

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

's daily '' Al-Mustaqbal'' since 1999. She presented numerous musical programmes in the Arab media and worked for Future TV and

ART Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

television stations in the mid-1990s. Taha served as a judge in musical festivals and programmes across Lebanon and

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

in 1995, 2001 and 2002. Since 1997, she was a member of The Professional Artists Syndicate, as well as a member of honor in the Munir Bashir Oud and Traditional Musical Art International Foundation, in remembrance of Iraqi oudist

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 ...

. Since 1986 Taha had performed in many concerts throughout the Middle East and Europe; in Lebanon,

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

, Egypt,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

, Algeria, UAE, Germany,

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, Italy, Holland, and her homeland of

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

Personal life

Taha married a Lebanese and was a naturalized Lebanese national. She still had family in Baghdad.

Death

Taha died on 17 August 2018 from cancer.

Discography

Albums

* ''Baghdadiyat'' feat. Omar Bashir * ''Traditional Iraqi songs'' (2003) * ''Gunter Grass Tour De Jemen'' * ''Waddaato Baghdad'' (2010) * ''I Adore You'' (2012)

Publications

* ''Baghdadi Maqamat'' (2006). . In Arabic. * ''From The Heart To Them'' Part 1.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Taha, Sahar 1957 births 2018 deaths Iraqi emigrants to Lebanon 20th-century Iraqi women singers Iraqi women writers Iraqi writers Iraqi oud players Lebanese oud players 20th-century Lebanese women singers Lebanese women writers Members of Syndicate of Professional Artists in Lebanon