Farida Mohammad Ali: the mother of all Maqam

The Iraqi singer has mastered a male-dominated musical genre. But all she really wants is to go back homeThe Arabic word farida means apart or alone. The Iraqi singer Farida Mohammad Ali truly is a one-off. She is one of only a handful of artists to have mastered the ancient musical discipline of maqam – a lifetime's pursuit, as the singer must develop not only a command of complex melodies and scales but also the scripture and philosophy behind them. He must also, traditionally, be a man, the...

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