I’m helping a friend working on a audio-visual presentation of photos taken during the invasion of Iraq. We’re brainstorming the audio backing to the presentation, and while we’re playing around with some classical pieces (like Barber’s Adagio for Strings), we’re also interested in taking a look at more local music.
Unfortunately, neither of us know a thing about Iraqi music. Instrumental music would probably be the safest, but music with singing would be fine, provided there are no inappropriate or unintentionally ironic lyrics which would clash with the visuals.
This may all be a long shot, but does anyone at all have a place to at least start. We’re not necessarily going to use the music, but we want to have the choice.
Right up your alley, Mr Harmonica Man:
2 hours of the best of Iraqi music - if you can’t figure out how/what to download for the BBC player, post again.
Enjoy the shows (they’re okay on a dial up modem).
btw, this guy is apparently the Big Thing in Iraq at the moment:
Also, if you like checking out ‘world music’ in general, there’s some outstanding listening here as well.
Fill yer boots, geezer 
Fwiw, that second link to Kazem Al Sahir has an interesting track, almost like western marshal music at the intro (note the whip) - before it goes off into the ‘everything including the kitchen sink’ school of developing world music . . . (click ‘Listen’ on the right and next to the photo of the guy).
More tempo’s and styles than a Red hot chilli peppers CD . . .
make that left of the photo, not right.
I’ll leave you to it now.
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Thanks so much for your mad research skeelz!!