Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented
in Arabic, with subtitles
in Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian,
Japanese, Korean,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, (Slovenian,)
Spanish and Thai.
Welcome to A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
Today, we are honored
to have the Baghdad
Folklore Band introduce
the ethereal beauty
of the musical art
of Iraqi maqam.
Baghdad is one of
the world’s oldest cities.
The ancient name
of Baghdad was
"Madinat al Salam",
the City of Peace.
Great scientists, poets,
architects and artists
studied and improved
upon the works of other
great civilizations,
including Persia, India,
and China.
For her great love
of scholarship,
Baghdad was also called
the City of Wisdom.
Another translation
of the name Baghdad,
states the meaning to be
“bagh,” meaning God,
and “dad,” meaning gift.
Thus, its meaning
in this Persian translation
is “Gift of God.”
And, quite literally,
the knowledge that has
poured forth from this
rich community of minds
has been a divine gift
to the world.
As early as 1800 BCE,
the flourishing Assyrian
city of Nineveh was
already famous for
its colossal constructions
with fine decorations of
sculptures and paintings.
The Hanging Gardens
of Babylon built in
600 BCE is considered
one of the original Seven
Wonders of the World.
In music,
Iraq is known for
the stringed instruments
oud and rebeb, as well as
the melodic maqam.
The art of Iraqi maqam
has been preserved
for hundreds of years
in both secular
and religious settings.
The true essence of
this art form is being
kept alive through the
devoted and passionate
efforts of great musicians.
Baghdad Folklore Band
is a newly formed band
that aspires to keep
Iraq’s musical roots alive.
This hospitable and
energetic group
consists of seasoned
Iraqi musicians residing
in Michigan, USA.
The manager of the band,
Mr. Adnan Asmar,
explains the group’s
musical purpose.
We mix the old Iraqi
traditions with
the current traditions,
and keep it for
our future generations.
The goal of this group
is to deliver the name
of Iraq, because
Iraq is in our blood.
Iraq is our father, we
drunk its water, and we
don't want to forget Iraq.
If Iraq is still under
these circumstances,
its voice will still exist.
The name of Iraq
will still exist.
The Iraqi song will
still exist, and
people will know Iraq.
And we will sing
nationalistic songs for Iraq.
We will spread the
Iraqi voice between all
the Arab communities,
and I want to tell them
that Iraq will survive
through its voice
and traditions.
The Baghdad Folklore
Band members include
the esteemed musicians
Saad Mesi, Wisam Arabo,
Ala Alshakerchi,
and Adnan Yousif.
Within the group,
we have good singers
with very nice voices,
no artist can surpass
them, especially
regarding maqam.
We established the group
with brother Ala, he is
a very good zither player.
And the brother who
reads the musical notes.
And brother Wisam Arabo,
he is well-known
in the community here,
and brother Saad,
the drummer, he is one
of the very good players.
There is also another
violinist, who will join us
very soon.
The group plans to
reproduce that same
authentic harmonious
atmosphere as in Iraq,
with top-class
professional musicians.
It came into my mind
when I was in Iraq.
I had earlier established
the group “Al-Rafedeen”
of Baghdadi traditions.
Every Thursday night
was the holiday night.
We performed at a party
every Thursday and many
of the Iraqi singers sang.
When I came here
I called brother Ala and
we wanted to establish
another group just like
"Al-Rafedeen" in Iraq.
We use the same songs
we used in Baghdad.
After much hard training,
we will appear in many
festivals in California,
Los Angeles, or Chicago.
And in case there are
some festivals, we will be
ready to participate
at any festival
in the name of Iraq.
Let’s now enjoy
a traditional folk song
performed by the
Baghdad Folklore Band.
She is very wise
like Lokman…
She is very wise
like Lokman…
and beautiful like Joseph
and virtuous
like the Virgin Mary.
I suffered pains like Job,
and the regret of Adam.
Beside the valley I saw
a dove which was crying
with a broken heart.
God has forbidden in all
the holy books bloodshed,
God has forbidden
in the Holy Qur’an
and Bible bloodshed,
but he didn't forbid
kissing the cheeks.
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms will
continue our program
featuring the
Baghdad Folklore Band
after these brief messages.
Please stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television.
She greets me and
she is afraid of her family,
this is not allowed.
When she comes,
everybody greets her,
When she comes,
everybody greets her.
You are welcome
my darling,
She greets me.
She greets me modestly,
she knows
how to respect others,
She greets me modestly,
she knows
how to respect others,
She greets me…
Welcome back to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
You have just heard an
excerpt of an Iraqi folk
song performed by the
Baghdad Folklore Band,
which was formed to
preserve traditional
Iraqi music, especially
the special art form
of Iraqi maqam.
Iraqi maqam is considered
the most perfect form
of maqam
in the Arabic world.
It originated 400 years ago
and is characterized
by the singing of poems
in Iraqi or
classic Arabic dialect.
Maqam is the system
of melodic notes used in
traditional Arabic music,
which is from the
old Baghdadi traditions.
And we use it
in Iraqi music.
The master of Iraqi maqam
is Al-Qubanchi,
may Allah rest his soul
in peace.
And the maqam is
a characteristic of Iraq.
Among the many popular
20th century
Iraqi maqam singers,
Mohammed Al-Qubanchi
and Rachid Al-Qundarchi
were representative of
two distinguishable styles.
While Al-Qubanchi
focused on the rendering
of content,
Al-Qundarchi concentrated
on music tunes.
These precious
artistic traditions are
being carried forward
by present-day maqam
vocalists such as Ms.
Farida Muhammad Ali
and Mr. Muhammad
H. Gomar, among others.
It began in Baghdad
and became famous.
Salima Murad,
Al-Qubanchi,
Nazem Al-Ghazali,
Yusuf Omar...
there are too many, I
can't remember them all,
they were the first
schools in maqam.
Iraqi maqam was
well known throughout
the Arabic homeland and
now it's also in Tunisia.
I went to Tunisia, and
I found out that the songs
of Nazem Al-Ghazali
are still being sung
in the whole Arab world.
Maqam is special to Iraq.
The maqam school is
an Iraqi school,
it's the source
of all the maqamat.
In Iraq, there are
private schools, and
the institutes for the arts.
You can study in Baghdad
the art of Iraqi music, the
art of traditional music.
Then the students
graduate after 3 to 5 years
of learning;
the student spends
a long time to learn it.
Iraqi musicians use
a variety of instruments
including oud, rebab,
and santur.
Mr. Asmar introduces us
to some of the band’s
instruments, such as
the dumbek drum.
It has many names like
tabla, eqa'a, and dumbek.
And in Lebanon,
they call it darbuka.
This instrument is
very old, it's from
the Sumerian time,
it's called the zither.
The idea for it came from
the Sumerian harp.
Like other arts,
to become an expert in
traditional Iraqi music,
schooling is
only one aspects
but talent is essential.
Mr. Asmar attributes
this inborn ability
to the grace of Allah.
In fact, all these are gifts,
there could be
a gifted man who can
learn it within a month.
And here is Mr. Saad,
he is a very gifted man.
He uses his fingers
for playing.
Every human being has
a gift from Allah, the gift
of speech, of sculpturing,
of playing, of singing.
All of these are gifts
from Allah to man.
But there are schools to
teach this man in case
he has this gift,
in the fine arts institutes.
He will have
the inspiration to go to
the institution,
because he has a gift.
Exactly like the singer
who goes to the singing
school to learn
maqam and the zither.
In order to preserve
their musical tradition
and introduce Iraqi music
to new audiences, the
Baghdad Folklore Band
plans on participating in
cultural events and festivals.
We practice a lot
in order to make
the group one of the best
in the whole Arab world
or in America.
That's why we want to
produce something to keep
this tradition in mind.
To conclude today’s
show, we invite you
to enjoy the song,
“Bright Sun”
a traditional Iraqi folk
song performed by the
Baghdad Folklore Band,
which demonstrates
their devotion and skill
for Iraqi maqam.
I love you, and I love
everybody who loves you
I love you, and I love
everybody who loves you
I also love the musk-roses
because their color is like
your cheeks, I love you
My darling,
you are my only darling,
my darling My darling,
you are my only darling,
my darling
Please don't be harsh
to me,
you are my only darling,
I love you I love you,
and I love everybody
who loves you
I love you, and I love
everybody who loves you
I also love the musk-roses
because their color is like
your cheeks, I love you
The beautiful girl
passed by me
She looked at me with
the most beautiful eyes
I have ever seen
The beautiful girl
passed by me
She looked at me with
the most beautiful eyes
I have ever seen
She passed by me, by me
She passed by me, by me
The beautiful girl
passed by me
She was walking in a hurry,
I don't know why
Her perfume stayed
with me after she went
She was walking in a hurry,
I don't know why
Her perfume stayed
with me after she went
She passed by me, by me
She passed by me, by me
The beautiful girl
passed by me
We are grateful to
Mr. Adnan Asmar and
all the musicians of the
Baghdad Folklore Band
for sharing with us the
heartwarming tradition
of Iraqi maqam.
May your peaceful melodies
bring the message
of brotherly love to
every corner of the world.
For more information
about the Baghdad
Folklore Band,
please contact
Beautiful viewers,
thank you for your
charming presence
for today’s episode of
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Up next is Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
right after
Noteworthy News
here on
Supreme Master Television.
Wishing you many
blessed and tranquil
moments in life.