Rahim Alhaj: Music, Borders, and the US Southwest

Author(s)

Rahim Alhaj
Andrea Shaheen Espinosa, Arizona State University

Document Type

Multimedia File

Streaming Media Runtime

Streaming audio, 41:50

Abstract

This episode features a brief interview with Rahim Alhaj, virtuoso ‘ud performer and composer from Baghdad, Iraq, who now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Alhaj discusses his start as a musician in Iraq, his experienced displacement and exile, and his journey to the United States. He explains how his background has informed his understanding of personal identity and musical genre, and why he rejects commonly accepted labels for both. He elucidates how his music reflects his politics, and the change that he seeks to inspire. His love for Albuquerque and the culture of the US Southwest is discussed throughout the interview.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Repository Citation

Alhaj, Rahim and Shaheen Espinosa, Andrea, "Rahim Alhaj: Music, Borders, and the US Southwest" (2022). Music in Arab America. 6.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/music-arab-america/6

Publication Date

2022