Description
The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble was founded in 1989 in Baghdad by Mohammad H Gomar as a continuation of The Iraqi Musical Heritage Group which was initiated in 1973 by the prominent lute professor Munir Bashir (1927-1997). The new ensemble dedicated itself to
reviving the classical Iraqi maqam and other traditional Iraqi music. The fact that the group is fronted by the distinguished female singer Farida Mohammad Ali is very remarkable: her distinctive style and voice are very well suited to singing maqam. Based in the Netherlands since 1997, Farida & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble have performed on festivals in Kuwait, Russia, Tunisia, Jordan and other Arab countries, in the UK and throughout continental Europe. This album was first issued in 1998.
Personnel: Farida Mohammad Ali (Maqam singer), Mohammad Husein Gomar (Manager of the group and Jozza Player), Jamil M. Al-Asadi (Qanun player), Azad Omar Mohammed (Nay player), Abdulatif Saad Al-Obaidi (Ud and drums player), Saher Mechail Dawoud (Riqq player), Adnan Shanan Abdullamir (Nay player).