Rahim AlHaj

Virtuoso oud musician and composer Rahim AlHaj was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and has played the oud since childhood. In 1991, because of his activism against the Saddam Hussein regime, he left Iraq for Jordan and Syria. In 2000 he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a political refugee and has lived there ever since. Rahim is known for a unique combination of tradition and innovation on the oud; his music delicately combines traditional Iraqi maqams with contemporary styling and influence. In 2015 he was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor for traditional arts in the U.S. Rahim has performed around the globe, and (among numerous other awards) is a double Grammy nominee.