AlHaj received the instrument, which resembles a pear-shaped guitar, as a gift from his first music instructor at age eight; by 1990 he was a 21-year-old rising star. But in order to have a successful career in Iraq, the ruling Ba’ath party demanded he join—and he refused, leading to his incarceration. “It was the most excruciating moment in my life,” explains AlHaj in a telephone interview with FORBES. The album’s eight exquisitely poignant tracks are inspired by actual missives from Iraq and translated into music for oud, violin and other instruments by AlHaj, an accomplished composer in addition to being a virtuoso. “You’re banning human beings who are enriching this country,” says AlHaj.

Source: Forbes March 24, 2017 15:56 UTC