Following death last month

Iraqi oud player Sami Naseem remembered at Baghdad cultural event

15:01

BAGHDAD — The renowned Iraqi oud player Sami Naseem was commemorated on Friday at a special event held on Baghdad’s Al-Mutanabbi Street, a cultural hub for artists and intellectuals. Organized by the Al-Mada Foundation for Culture and Arts in collaboration with the Goethe Institute, the event celebrated Naseem’s lasting contributions to Iraqi music and his influence as a master of the oud.

Naseem, who passed away in September after battling illness, left an indelible mark on the world of oud music. His works were deeply rooted in religious and historical compositions, and he drew inspiration from his mentor Munir Bashir, one of Iraq’s most celebrated oud players. Naseem also taught oud at Baghdad’s Institute of Musical Studies, where he influenced a new generation of musicians.

In 2013, Naseem founded and led the Baghdad Oud Ensemble. He also served as the director of the Iraqi Oud House and was an elected member of the Central Council of the Iraqi Artists Syndicate in its current term.

“Sami Naseem was a remarkable musician, blending southern, central, and northern musical traditions,” music critic and researcher Sadiq Abdul Ghafar Al-Aani told 964media. “He founded the Munir Bashir Ensemble, which became an ambassador for Iraqi music, performing at the Cairo Opera House and in Austria, Venezuela, Serbia, Lebanon, Paris, and Morocco.”

Al-Aani highlighted Naseem’s unique ability to integrate styles from Iraqi, Turkish, and other oud traditions, making him a true master in his field. He noted that Naseem was heavily influenced by Sufi oud player Salman Shukr.

Jamal Nasser, a teacher of oud at Baghdad’s School of Music and Ballet, reflected on the commemorative session. “Today’s event was a tribute to the master oud player Sami Naseem,” Nasser said, “discussing both his personal life and his musical career, from childhood to his professional rise.”

Nasser added that several of Naseem’s compositions were performed during the event, including “Um Al-Abaya,” based on an old folkloric song, and “Uyun Jabaliya,” inspired by Kurdish folklore. The ensemble also played “Sama’i Bayat Shur,” one of Naseem’s earliest composed works. “Sami was a major figure in the oud tradition,” Nasser continued, “and I was fortunate to have studied under him from 1995 to 2000.”

Widely acclaimed for his mastery of the oud, a pear-shaped stringed instrument central to Middle Eastern music, Sami Naseem’s legacy continues to resonate in the world of Iraqi and global music.