Artists

Artists

Amir ElSaffar

Hamid Al-Saadi

Press

“Iraqi vocalist Hamid al-Saadi’s first record of traditional maqam music in over 25 years, Maqam Al-Iraq (Maqam Records), is a delight.”—Ammar Kalia, The Guardian

“For Al-Saadi, Amir ElSaffar, Safaafir, and their listeners, Maqam Al-Iraq is a privilege to witness. Embracing the improvisational nature of the maqām, the performers at hand create (brilliantly) something that can indeed only be made once but can serve as a reference point for generations of Iraqi maqām devotees to come. For Maqām Records, whose mission is to highlight maqām tradition and innovation, it’s as solid a foundation as they come.” —Adriane Pontecorvo, PopMatters

“It was this group that recorded Maqam Al-Iraqi via ElSaffar’s continuing Maqam Studio preservation initiative. The 87-minute, four-track album is named after its first piece, a maqam of longing Al-Saadi composed since moving to the US, based on a text by the highly regarded Iraqi poet Ni'mah Hussain. “I lived in exile for seven years,” adds Al-Saadi. “I missed my homeland, my people – the essence of longing comes from the poem and the text.” —Rob Garratt, The National

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