Kazem Al Saher

Kadim Al Sahir (Arabic:كاظم الساهر), or Kazem Al Saher, (born on September 12, 1961 in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq) has established himself as one of the biggest singers in the Arab World, having sold more than 30 million albu

Kadim Al Sahir (Arabic:كاظم الساهر), or Kazem Al Saher, (born on September 12, 1961 in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq) has established himself as one of the biggest singers in the Arab World, having sold more than 30 million albums since the start of his career. Ranging from big romantic ballads to more political work, from pop to Arab classical, he's covered the spectrum of music with the kind of success not seen since the heyday of Umm Kalthum. He is the son of a palace worker and has 9 siblings.

His interest in music came not from lessons, but the radio, where he became familiar with the works of composers such as Mohammed Abdel Wahab by hearing them. When he was ten, he sold his bicycle to buy a guitar and two years later, he began writing songs. He switched to the oud, a much more common instrument, and was accepted into the Baghdad Music Academy at the age of 21. Although keen to break through in the music business with his songs and voice, he found himself rebuffed by all the producers he approached, who would only let him sing their own material. Instead, he used the back door to gain entry to the industry.