Maqam: The Very Old School Style

Ask any Jew from Iraq and there are or used to be thousands of them, and they will tell you they miss this music of their old country Iraq. So the Iraqi Maqam singing style. I have heard so many stories of Iraqi Jews immigrants in Israel who still keep up with their music and their old traditions.

This is an old wedding song sang in an Iraqi dialect exclusive for the residence of the Jewish pockets of Baghdad "Heavy Qaaf" decades ago. The singer of this gem is Yusuf Omar an Iraqi singer who is not a Jew himself, but his songs were popular everyone in that country including Jewish community that was part of the land as many other communities in that mixed up and diversity rich land.

I have seen this Magam style before and it remains big in some parts of the Gulf, Syria and Lebanon. In Spain there are old school bands that cover this style which they trace of the Muslim rule of Spain. Yes, it's very popular with the older folks, granddad types, but one of my best friends who is in his mid 20s particularly enjoys this style. This song makes fun of the family of the bride for marrying up into a family of a groom that is more prestigious than their own.

'Afaki 'Afaki - Yusuf Omar عفاكي عفاكي - يوسف عمر


Tarboush Tip Suneela Mubayi