Sharjah24 – AFP: Long uprooted from his native Iraq, Naseer Shamma, an icon of the Arabic oud, has returned home to help rekindle the flame of Iraqi music, snuffed out by decades of conflict.
At nearly 60, the virtuoso who studied under late Iraqi oud legend Munir Bashir still appears in awe of his instrument, as well as those that accompany it.
"All those instruments are Iraqi -- you have the santur for example. Each one is from 2000 BC," he said at the national theatre orchestra packed with Iraqi instruments.
"They are very historic instruments and the sound is a very special sound."
But such nights in Baghdad have become more of an exception than the rule for Shamma, a native of Kut, in the country's southeast.
- 'Education first' -
Aside from his musical mission, his latest Baghdad performances come with another purpose.
"Now we're playing to help education. My new project is called 'education first'. We need to help Iraqi schools," Shamma said.
As UNICEF has pointed out, "decades of conflict and under-investment in Iraq have destroyed what used to be the best education system in the region and severely curtailed Iraqi children's access to quality learning".
Despite the sluggish pace of Iraq's recovery and the political disputes that always threaten to erupt into new violence, the musician is hopeful for change.
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