Who is this Iraqi singer?

August 14, 2006 7:58 PM

ObscureMusicFilter: Arabic speakers, please hope me! Trying to identify an Iraqi singer. There's

more inside. I am trying to remember the name of an Iraqi singer whose work I really loved about ten to twelve years ago. It is not Kathim Al Sahir. He sang very bitter and sorrowful songs, and the only thing I can remember of his music is this fragment of one of his songs, sung by me. I know this is not a whole lot to go on, but I'm hoping it sparks someone's memory.

posted by evariste to media & arts (8 comments total)

Esmael Lalfarwuchi

or

Adel Oqela?

Spelling might be off but that's what my coworkers tell me.
posted by Dagobert at 9:21 PM on August 14, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Dagobert-wow, cool! Neither of those names rings a bell, but it's been a long time. If it was gonna be either of them, I think it would be the second, because I remember that his name was kind of short.
posted by evariste at 9:30 PM on August 14, 2006

Dagobert-any chance you might be willing to get those names from your coworkers spelled in Arabic to my inbox, to help me when I'm looking? Transliteration is dicey. Email in profile.
posted by evariste at 9:34 PM on August 14, 2006

OK, update.

Said co-worker just came running up to my desk "100%" sure that the person you are looking for is, in fact, Ali Mahmood Al-Essawe.

I will try to get these three men to you in the native script. When I can do this is iffy but I'll try to knock it out today.
posted by Dagobert at 9:46 PM on August 14, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thanks so much, you rock! I think it is 3isawi, that sounds SO famliar!
posted by evariste at 9:55 PM on August 14, 2006

It's 3isawi all right! I found an mp3 of him singing a mawwal and it sounds exactly like I remember him.
posted by evariste at 10:42 PM on August 14, 2006

More on YouBoob
posted by growabrain at 6:17 PM on October 14, 2006

That was really cool, thanks growabrain! I had no idea what he looks like. A typically terrible Arabic music video, but I really like the song.
posted by evariste at 12:51 AM on June 14, 2007