Sajida Obeid

Bahrain Concert - 2003

• Mshina Bderet Al Ghreb (We Walked in the West's Land)
• Mohammad Boya Mohammad (Mohammad, Father Mohammad)
• La Tkeli Ahbesh (Don't Tell Me You Love Me)
• Hina Hina (Here Here)
• Kafak Al Loum (You've Had Enough Blame)
• Sadkoni (Believe Me)

• Wada'a Intaha Hobna (Farewell, Our Love is Over)
• Wla Tayeb (No Good)
• Al Bakhet (Luck)
• Whamet (I Was Inspired)
• Jan Al Kalb (The Heart Was)
• Swaheli (Swaheli)
• Ya Bnya, Al Darbeel (Young Woman, Al Darbeel)
• Khalah Wkhalelah (choubi) (Leave Him With His Companion (choubi)

Label

Location Issued

Artist Origin

More Info

Sajida Obeid is an iraqi singer from the Kawlia (gypsy) community, who lived as a minority in Baghdad. She started singing at the age of twelve, and quickly became one of the most famous shaabi singers in Iraq – eventually becoming known throughout the Arab world for her blend of Iraqi choubi and rural folk shaabi.

During Saddam's era, Obeid was favored by the baath government, and would often be invited to sing at parties held by politicians, who had taken a liking to Iraqi kawlia music.Obeid and other Kawlia singers appeared often on Iraqi national television broadcasts in the 1980s and 1990s. During that time period, Obeid later recalled being asked for her help by Iraqis to help find or mediate for their detained children and loved ones being held in national prisons, hoping that her sway with the government may prove persuasive.

After the war against Iraq, Obeid fled Baghdad and moved to Erbil, concerned that she might be considered a supporter of the former regime, but despite that, she considered the political harassment, threats and aggression as a normal matter that every Iraqi singer has been subjected to.

Today, although she's over sixty years old, Sajida Obeid still performs in Iraq, and she returns every now and then to Baghdad, where she performs to the people of the city from all their backgrounds, orientations, and classes.