Amir ElSaffar with Hamid Al-Saadi

Renowned musician Amir ElSaffar joins vocalist Hamid Al-Saadi to present the Iraqi maqam, the classical vocal tradition of Iraq. Its sophisticated melodies, infectious rhythms, and eloquent poetry are a direct reflection of Iraq’s history, geography, culture, and folklore; in them can be found the essence of all that is Iraq.

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About Amir ElSaffar

A 2018 US Artist Fellow and a recipient of the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, ElSaffar is an expert trumpeter with a classical background; he speaks the language of contemporary jazz and utilizes techniques to play ornaments idiomatic to Arabic music not typically heard on the trumpet. He continues the Iraqi maqam tradition, performing actively as a vocalist and santur (hammered dulcimer of Mesopotamian origin) player.

About Hamid Al-Saadi

Born in Iraq in 1958, Hamid Al-Saadi’s artistic, musical and scholarly journey with the Iraqi maqam began from childhood, inspired by his avid love of the Iraqi and Baghdadi culture, the Arabic language, music and poetry. He is he only person in his generation to have memorized and mastered all 56 maqamat from the Baghdadi repertoire. Muhammed Al-Gubbenchi – probably the most influential maqam reciter in history – considered Al-Saadi to be the “ideal link to pass on the maqam to future generations.”