Rahim AlHaj

Artist Description

Rahim AlHaj, virtuoso oud musician and composer, was born in Baghdad, Iraq and began playing the oud (Arabic lute) at age nine. He studied under the renowned Munir Bashir, considered by many to be the greatest oud player ever, and Salim Abdul Kareem. Rahim has garnered many accolades and awards, most recently a 2008 Grammy Nomination for Best Traditional World Music Album. A political refugee from his homeland since 1991, he moved to the US in 2000, becoming an American citizen this past August.

Delicately combining traditional Iraqi maqams (system of melodic modes) with contemporary styling and influence, "the predominantly microtonal interpretations exude a trancelike, meditative quality. AlHaj’s personal renderings are nothing if not freewheeling, much like those of his internationally celebrated teacher, Munir Bachir.... Alhaj’s solo playing retains its hypnotic bent while slipping in and out of countable time, and periodically seems completely without meter....At its most futuristic, Alhaj’s music could be said to have parallels with the blues. His original compositions would never be mistaken for folk music, but provide a solid foundation for his mesmeric solo flights." - Time Out New York