Kathem Al Saher (Arabic: كاظم الساهر born September 12 1957) , is an
Iraqi
singer, composer, and poet. He has been
dubbed as the "Elvis of the Middle East", "Robbie Williams of the
Middle East"
[384447], "Iraq’s Diplomatic Ambassador to the
world"
[384448], "Iraq’s Ambassador for Peace"
[384449] and is hailed as a true legend of Arabic
Music.
Kathem has established himself as one of the most successful
singers in the history of the
Arab World,
having sold more than 30 million albums since the start of his
career. Ranging from big romantic ballads to more political work,
from pop to Arab classical music.
Biography
Saher was
born in Mosul
, 1957 to a
mother from Najaf and a father from Samarra. His father
lived in Baghdad, but was a samarra native from the tribe of albu
daraj.
He
grew up and spent a large part of his life in Alhurrya city in
Baghdad
. He is the son of a palace worker and has
nine siblings.
Apart from his mother, Saher's family were never supportive of his
direction in becoming a musician. They had no faith in him that he
would become successful, and instead wanted him to become a doctor
or a lawyer.
[384450] Saher's brother once took him to a local
cafeteria, full of aspiring musicians who had no work and warned
him that Kathem will end up the same. However, he said that the
only way to achieve success is if you respect your music and
respect yourself.
[384451] Kathem Al Saher has two sons, Wesam
and Omar.
Early life
His interest in music grew as he listened to songs via the
radio that offered him the chance to become familiar
with the works of composers such as
Mohammed Abdel Wahab. When he was ten,
he began writing songs. After selling his bicycle, Saher purchased
a
guitar at the age of twelve, and began
learning the arts of the guitar for about three months before
writing a classical song to accompany his new found talent. It was
his first instrument.
He later switched to the oud, a much more common instrument, and was accepted
into the Baghdad Music
Academy at the age of twenty-one. Although keen to break
through in the music business with his songs and voice, he found
himself rebuffed by all the producers he approached, who would only
let him sing their own material. Instead, he used the back door to
gain entry to the industry.
Professional career
1980–1999: Rise to fame
One of his first videos was made in collaboration with one of his
friends that happened to be a television director. The song in
question was "
Ladghat El Hayya" (The Snake Bite), which
was broadcast on Iraqi television in
1987, one
year before the end of the Iraq-Iran war. The song was the source
of a major controversy due to particular sensitivities that were
common during that era. Officials in the Iraqi television asked him
to either change the lyrics or have it banned. His refusal to
change the lyrics and it's consequent ban only helped to increase
the popularity of the song. He began giving concerts all over the
Persian Gulf and recording his music with
Kuwaiti labels.
A year later, he had a hit with "
Obart Al Shat" (I crossed
the river). Some of his professors at the Academy denounced it as
sha'bi (pop) music, anathema to those who taught classical music.
But protesting was pointless.
El-Saher had managed to circumvent the system
and had become a star on his own terms—he even undertook his first
U.S.
tour in 1989. Having
conquered pop, El-Saher turned around and established himself in
the Arabic classical world with "
La Ya Sadiki" (No, My
Friend), a
magnum opus that lasted
almost an hour and found him using
maqams (scales) that hadn't been used in Iraqi
music in several decades, revitalizing a tradition.
In
1991 and due to the Persian Gulf War, Kathem transferred his
base of operations to Jordan
where he
lived with his family for few years. He always considers
living in Jordan as an important period of his life and career
success later on.
Kathem performed more than once some of his
most successful concerts which was held in Jerash
.
After that
he moved to Lebanon
, where he
met and formed a songwriting partnership with noted Syrian poet
Nizar Qabbani in 1996, who wrote lyrics to his music, before settling
permanently in Cairo
.
Qabbani, wrote the lyrics to more than 30 of Kathem’s songs. In
addition to Qabbani’s poems, Kathem sang both political and
romantic songs for Iraq and Baghdad, highlighting the feelings of
the citizens of Iraq as well as their tragedies.
El-Saher continued to release albums and tour, having become the
biggest name in Middle Eastern music, one whose ballads grew bigger
and more romantic, but who would also write classically influenced
works, even when they might hurt his popularity.
By
1998, he had ten albums under his belt and
was lauded as an artist, not just a pop star. That prestige brought
him wider fame and a growing international reputation that won him
a
UNICEF award for his song
"
Tathakkar", which he performed in the U.S. for Congress
and the
United Nations -- one of the
first real post-Gulf War cultural exchanges. The following year, he
recorded a tribute to the
Pope with the Italian
Symphony Orchestra.many of his compositions are being taught in
many universities of United States of America,especially his very
famous song "Baghdad" is still taught other than America.
2000-present
While still a fan of large orchestras, whose sweep helps define his
music, he's remained open to technological innovation, even going
so far as to allow a remix (by fusionists
Transglobal Underground) of his song
La Titnahad, taken from his
2000 release El Hob
El Moustahil (The Impossible Love), the first of his albums to be
given an official American release. To coincide with it, he
performed on the Mondo Melodia tour, which crossed the U.S.
In
2003 Kathem colloborated with
Lenny Kravitz and released an anti-war song at
Rock The Vote, titled "
We Want
Peace", and shortly afterwards releasing a song entitled
"
The War Is Over" (Entahat al harab) with
Sarah Brightman. In
2004, Saher continued to work with various renowned
international artists including Grammy Award winning producers
KC Porter,
Dawn
Elder and
Quincy Jones. His latest
collaboration "
Love & Compassion" (Hob Wa Haneen) was
the title track for the
Arab American National Museum
Collectors edition honoring the artists that have made the most
significant difference with international audiences. The track
features Grammy winning singer/songwriter
Paula Cole,
Def Jam
recording artist
Karina Pasian, and
Luis Conte, produced by Dawn Elder and KC
Porter
[384452]
In year 2004 he participated in world wide special broadcast
concert special “We are the Future” Concert produced by Quincy
Jones in association producer Dawn Elder at the Roman Maximos
Stadium in Rome for the benefit of the children of the world. Also,
in December 2004 he participated in the opening of the Gulf
Football Championship (Khaleeji 17) in which he performed the
return of Iraq Operette which was broadcasted live on 10 satellite
channels. Additional in 2004 he was the first Arab artist to
participate in the Official Album of Athens Olympics.
[384453]
In 2004 Al Sahir made the album Ila Tilmitha (For a Student)
cliping two songs which are ila timitha and ahbenikadim made a duet
in that album with the morrocan singer asma lamnawer
In 2005 was the album Intaha El Mechwar which kadim made four vdieo
clips , el benya (the littile girl) , hareb , wo enni ohebokiand
tetbaghdad aleina
In 2007 kadim made the album Yawmiate Rajoul Mahzoum , kadim made a
vdieo clip for the songs Ensa and madenat al hob
in the same year Kadim made a release for a single (Nay - flute)
and made a video clip for it
in 2008 was the album Sowar (Photographs) , kadim made this album
with a very simple music , shot Ensa al alam and Tehbni from the
same album with the australian director rachel
Kadim is one of the (TOP ten stars) in the Whole world according to
his audience number."
Hafyat Al Kadamayin"
"
Ahibini" and "
Wa Eni Ahiboki" kept him at his
number one position in Arab world in recent times.
Awards
Discography
Albums
- Shajart Al-Zeitoon (The Olive
Tree)
- Ghazal (Gazelle) (1989) Music
Box
- Al-Aziz (The Beloved) (1990)
Al-Nazaer
- Hatha Allon (This Color) (1992)
Stallions
- Banat Alaebak (Your Tricks are Over)
(1993)
- La Ya Sadiki (No, My Friend) (1993)
Music Box
- Salamtek Min Al-Ah (1994) Rotana
- Baad Al-Hob (After Love) (1995)
Relax-In
- Aghsili Bilbard (Wash [my heart] with
Hail) (1996) Rotana
- Fi Medreset Al-Hob (In the School of
Love) (6/29/1996) Rotana
- Ana Wa Laila (Me and Laila)
(11/28/1998) Rotana
- Habibeti Wa Al-Matar (My Lover and the
Rain) (1/1/1999) Rotana
- Al-Hob
Al-Mustaheel (Impossible Love) (7/27/2000)
Rotana
- Abhathu Anki (Searching
For You) (9/28/2001) Rotana
- Qusat Habebain (A
Story of Two Lovers) (1/1/2002) Rotana
- Hafiat
Al-Kadamain (Barefooted) (6/29/2003) Rotana
- Ila Tilmitha (To a
Student) (11/11/2004) Rotana
- Entaha al Mushwar
(The Journey Is Over) (11/1/2005) Rotana
- Yawmiyat Rajul
Mahzoum (Diary of a Defeated Man) (3/29/2007)
Rotana
- Souwar
(Pictures) (8/30/2008) Rotana
- Al Rasm Bel
Kalimat (Drawing with the words)
(10/14/2009)
References
External links
Wikis
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