Music from Iraq

There’s more to Iraq than chaos and conflict. There’s music to be heard.

• Choubi Choubi! Folk & Pop Sounds from Iraq
  This collection of Iraqi music is from the intrepid Sublime Frequencies record label who have scoured the globe for obscure music often in its rawest form: field recordings, bootlegs, cassettes sold on street corners, and, if all else fails, directly off the radio. 
• When the Soul is Settled: Music from Iraq
  This recording of oud (a short-necked plucked lute) and percussion is on the Smithsonian Folkways label, the gold standard for folk and field recordings whether one is an ethnomusicologist or simply has adventurous ears.

Despite the ongoing violence, music is still being made in Iraq today such as the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra in Baghdad (who just performed on May 21, 2008). And there’s even a heavy metal band from Iraq, now refugees, and the subject of a documentary.

In my next post, I’ll introduce you to music from other hot spots around the globe.

— Tim

Living and Listening

Since 2003, the nonprofit project StoryCorps has been celebrating, recording and collecting the oral history of nearly 30,000 Americans; the concept, everybody’s story matters. The National Public Radio affiliated project archives each recording at the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress.

The idea is simple, a facilitator who works for StoryCorps and two individuals who know each other go in the both; one person listens while the other shares their story. Each session lasts 40 minutes and the participants get to keep a copy of their recorded history. Topics range from the “big questions” to becoming a business woman in the 1970s. Pittsburgh was lucky enough to have an Airstream trailer of its own for a few weeks in June, 2006.

Listen to hundreds of stories archived on the StoryCorps website. Bummed out about missing the mobile booth 2 years ago? Grab a loved one and record your own story with this do-it-yourself guide.

Also, take a look at Listening is an Act of Love, an anthology of stories from StoryCorps’ collection.