Iraq's Elvis Ready to Rock America
Feb. 26 -- At 12, he sold his bicycle in a Baghdad souk to buy a cherished guitar. Thirty years, two wars and several migrations later, Kazem al Sahir is one of the Arab world's most-loved, top-grossing singers, whose unabashedly romantic music sends millions of women swooning.
His smooth voice, accompanied by a full, complex orchestration, can be heard in falafel stores, record shops and Arab households throughout the world.
And now, as his troubled homeland looks set to suffer yet another debilitating war, al Sahir is ready to reach out to American audiences as he launches a four-city U.S. tour later this week.
From the hot, dusty streets of a working-class neighborhood in Baghdad to a blustery winter in North America is a long journey, and the Iraqi superstar has had to overcome more than his fair share of obstacles along the way.
In his hotel room in Las Vegas — where he was rehearsing for his upcoming shows in New York, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco — al Sahir recalled his early years, when he had a tough time convincing his family that music was going to be his life.
"My family wanted me to complete my studies, to have a stable career," said al Sahir, 42, in a phone interview with ABCNEWS.com. "I'm the seventh son of nine siblings and we all lived together in a very small house — it was a solid upbringing, but it was hard in those days, and my parents wanted me to be secure."
Over the years, the hardships have eased a bit, but they have never really ceased.
The son of a lowly Iraqi government employee went on to become one of the Arab world's superstars. He now has Canadian citizenship, which greatly assists his mobility; a home in Cairo, which grants him proximity to the all-important Egyptian market; and managers, agents, concerts, awards, fans, and comforts he never dreamed of.
But family worries continue to dog the Arab world's Elvis Presley-meets-Luciano Pavarotti.
His siblings and their families still live in Baghdad. His mother — who used to live with him in Cairo — has gone back home to Baghdad, refusing to be away from her children in these difficult times. And the fear of yet another war drives Iraq's most famous living musician sleepless with worry.
"I wish there won't be a war," he said. "Inshallah (God willing) there won't be a war. I just want everybody to live in peace. I want people to return to their work like they used to, to have the right to live as human beings and to live their lives in peace."
A Fine Diplomatic Balance
Politics and art have often crossed paths, sometimes overtly and sometimes inadvertently. But while many Western artists, including a number of musicians, have spoken out against a war with Iraq in recent weeks, al Sahir has to perform a tricky balancing act.
