in this era, and is absent from modern Iraqi songs. The music of this maqam has been associated with the names of the greatest singers in Iraq, perhaps the most prominent of them is Nazem al-Ghazali. The Iraqi Maqam Band, which was established in Dubai, works to revive the Iraqi heritage, through its concerts, during which only Iraqi Maqam music is presented.

We learned from the members of this band, in a dialogue on the sidelines of their participation in the presentation of links from the Iraqi maqam at one of the events held in Dubai, about the most prominent instruments used to present the music of the maqam, and how the music is distributed among them.

The leader of the band and the santour player, Azhar Kubba, believes that «the Iraqi artistic heritage is varied and varied, including rural and mountain singing and Iraqi maqam singing. What we are doing today is that we reintroduce the Iraqi maqam, noting that it is not possible for us to present all the instruments due to the lack of some instruments. “However, the centaur, which is the main instrument, is present and available in the Emirates.” He emphasized that choosing the name of the band, which is the Iraqi maqam or “Al-Chalgi Al-Baghdadi,” is an embodiment of the Iraqi takht consisting of the santor, the walnut and percussion instruments. Concerning the difference between the santor, which dates back to the Babylonian time, and the instrument of the law, Kubba explained that the differences are many, and it is represented by playing on strings of iron, while it is possible to play with wood that resembles a feather, and the sound of the dendritic is distinguished by being sharp, and it seems clear to the listener that it comes from iron.

Iraqi art has undergone many changes, just as other arts. Heritage is undergoing a process of change in the whole world. This is confirmed by Kubba, who added, “The wave of modern music was derived from the heritage and developed, like anything in life. People are looking for new things. On the heritage, because there is a constant desire among some to return to the old from time to time. ” He pointed out that “political conditions affect the people in general, and music will inevitably be affected by circumstances. The Iraqi people have been exhausted by wars in the recent period, and this has led to the presence of strange Iraqi music, which was found in the existence of the political climate in which we live.”

Musical melodies are distributed among the instruments in a balanced manner, and Kubba explained their distribution, “The distribution does not mean that the music will be issued by the instruments along one line, but rather it must be distributed in a manner that makes it show the splendor of each instrument independently, because the Arab instruments are distinguished from the Western instruments by being individual instruments.” . He noted that the time in which traditional art was found is difficult to repeat, and it is not necessarily that what is coming is not beautiful, but life is constantly changing, and there is no constancy, and we always feel that what has passed was better.

Arabic instrument

As for the oud player, Safa al-Din Jabbar, he pointed out that the oud is one of the Arab instruments used in the Arab world and the Gulf, but in the musical term it differs in the spirituality and cultures of different peoples, and Jabbar considered that some instruments have become almost extinct and absent. Regarding the genres of music, he pointed out that they choose the works of the ancient names that presented the Iraqi maqam, including Nazem Al-Ghazali and Muhammad Al-Qubanji, and other big names. He emphasized that every age and every time has its own techniques and features, but despite this, the oud still maintains its presence in music, but we may not see it in concerts, except that there are great names who played the oud, and presented distinguished works, as well as released albums to play on these god.

For his part, the percussionist Hassan Saddam pointed out that the rhythm in the Iraqi maqam is very similar to a mathematics lesson, as it enjoys a commitment to notes, and it is by the nature of the Iraqi maqam to be focused and calm, and the “Georgina” rhythm is the most prominent and most distinctive of the rhythms that we play. He pointed out that the percussion instrument is one of the most important instruments in the orchestra, because the focus of all musicians depends on it, and the interaction of people and their clapping is with the rhythm, and that is why it is considered one of the basic instruments. Saddam considered the percussionist the most tired musician in the band, as he exerts a great effort, because he does not strike a chord, but rather his hands move throughout the song, and he has no room to fade or stop, and between the disparate percussion instruments, he emphasized that the modern Iraqi rhythm depends a lot on the drum And parchment, and the modern wood instrument that has become staple in Iraqi songs. He pointed out that he personally includes Kazem El-Saher to the school of Nazem Al-Ghazali, Saadoun Jaber and other adults, because he presented a different and distinctive art. As for Iraqi art, in general, he valued it as a sad art and not a joyful art, but in the end it made people search for joy and innovate in machines.