Reviewer Information

Singing in Baghdad

Author: Cameron Powers

Winner of 2006 Colorado Independent Publishers Association Award!

Touching the Heart of Baghdad

There is a musician who had found a welcome. When he learned Armenian music, he was welcomed by Armenians. When he learned Turkish music, he was welcomed by Turks. He spent decades learning: the music of Peru, of Tadjikistan, of Greece, of Bulgaria, of Macedonia, of Spain, Iran, Mexico, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and yes, of Iraq! With friends all over the world, traveling was always a delight.

An invitation to come and perform in Baghdad was given to him and to his singing companion, Kristina Sophia, from the Musician's Society in the Iraqi capitol. Unfortunately, policies of the U.S. government had made all holders of American passports unwelcome in Iraq. This was 2002.

Held up at the border in Jordan, this musician, Cameron Powers, was nevertheless given news that visas were being processed to allow the concert to take place. It would be refreshing on both sides to see an American couple honoring ancient Iraqi artistic tradition by performing Iraqi music in Baghdad.

Then the bombs were unleashed. This was the spring of 2003. Cameron and Kristina returned to the Arab world from America as this military air and ground campaign was being launched. Singing in Egypt and Jordan, they were continually reminded of their invitation from Baghdad. Arab people are naturally friendly and inviting, especially toward anyone who has taken a step toward honoring their ancient arts and wisdom.

So it came to pass that, with the help of Jordanian friends and an Iraqi driver, Cameron and Kristina entered Baghdad just a few days after the arrival of the US military.

The concert was given on the street corners of Baghdad to crowds of appreciative Iraqi citizens. "We need to see more people like you!" they were told.

Now it is 2006. According to most recent polls, a majority of the U.S. population is opposed to the war, requesting either immediate or gradual withdrawal of troops from Iraq. A Harris Poll in December 2005 showed 53% (to 35 percent) felt that “taking military action against Iraq” was wrong. The administration has gotten it wrong on all counts: we were not welcomed as liberators, we have not increased our own national security, and there were no weapons of mass destruction. Now, $300 billion later, more than 2000 US soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis are dead. Cameron and Kristina have been continuing what they call their "Musical Mission of Peace" by completing four performance trips through six Arab countries and by driving 40,000 miles through the USA to deliver 160 multi-media presentations about the Arab-world people. Cameron has written a book, "Singing in Baghdad," describing the day-by-day adventures leading to their entry into Baghdad. It is now available through bookstores and directly from the publisher at www.gldesignpub.com. More information is also available at: www.musicalmissions.com.

IRAQ: SONGS SUCCEED WHERE BOMBS FAIL

If asked to imagine the average Arab-world citizen, what comes to mind? Images of irrational, fundamentalist suicide-bombers pervade American media. “There is a huge fear campaign against Arabic culture,” says Cameron Powers, who, along with fellow musician and wife Kristina Sophia, has made many pilgrimages to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine since September 11, 2001. Singing Arabic music on street corners, even in Baghdad with the smoke of burning buildings filling the air, the pair set out to dispel fear and reach across cultural boundaries to promote understanding.

So have these musicians feared for their lives in the Middle East, nervously looking over their shoulders while singing? Quite the contrary. “If no one goes, the media can continue to perpetuate the myth of danger. It’s just a tiny percentage of people who are militant,” adds Sophia.

“The Arab world felt safer, more welcoming, and less materialistic than the U.S. We’re raised with Disney movies first, then by the evening news, to think of all Arabs as sneaky sultans or modern day terrorists. We completely miss the point that 99.9 percent of the people over there just want to be left alone to live their lives,” adds Powers.

Powers and Sophia have experienced the beauty of the highly civilized, generous, and sensitive Arab people. “As soon as they realized we played their music, they’d grab us and hug and kiss us. They wanted to sit close, spend time, invite us into their homes,” says Powers. Theirs is an ancient culture, steeped in music and dance. “You’ll never hear an Arab person say ‘I can’t sing,’” says Sophia.

Powers’ deep appreciation for Arabic music began thirty years ago, fostered by his friendship with an Iraqi musician. Charmed by the sensual qualities in the music and it's deep worship of both the spiritual and feminine, Powers continues to perform throughout Colorado, New Mexico and California with his band, Sherefe. Following the events of 9/11, however, many performances were cancelled. No one wanted to listen to the music of “the enemy.” It was then that musicians Powers and Sophia decided to take diplomacy into their own hands by taking their music to the Middle East. They left behind American pop music and carried their own repertoire of popular Arabic music. “It’s like this little key you use to open up their hearts,” Sophia says. “They immediately love you.”

In their travels, Sophia and Powers don’t attempt to make a political statement, but rather to build bridges between cultures. “We just come to play, with a message of common humanity, friendship and peace. Humanity is one being. When we travel it is important to travel with love, not fear,” says Powers. His latest book, “Singing in Baghdad,” chronicles their adventures and the many soulful people they met along the way.

The Iraqi People: Friend or Foe?

Before you try one more time to decide whether you're for or against the war in Iraq, take a look at Singing in Baghdad, by Cameron Powers. You might wonder what would qualify this author to present his approach to international relations until you realize that he and his wife, Kristina Sophia, were standing in Baghdad, armed with only a traditional Arab musical instrument and their singing voices, enjoying the company of friendly Iraqis on the streets, while the U.S. military forces were invading. They had arranged their own transportation with a friendly Iraqi driver across the desert from Jordan and navigated around bomb craters and past burning buildings.

Powers and Sophia happen to be American musicians. More than that, they are musicians who happen to have studied Arabic music in some depth. With Singing in Baghdad as a gateway into the Arab psyche, one re-discovers something that we all knew but have perhaps forgotten: there is more to life than just politics and military force.

More than anything else, we are reminded that it was Saddam Hussein, not the people of Iraq, who was the enemy. Singing in Baghdad puts real flesh on the Arab-world people.

"As soon as they realize we play their music, they grab us and hug us and kiss us. They want to sit close, spend time in their homes meeting their parents, children, uncles and aunts... Humanity is one being. When we travel, it is important to travel with love and not fear." -Cameron Powers

If we are to intelligently control the democracy in which we live, we must travel to remain educated about this world. Singing in Baghdad is one of those ultimate travel books which, instead of focusing on the best hotels and restaurants, provides a glimpse into people's souls. Making choices which affect these Arab-speaking people should be done neither in a vaccuum nor from inside a popular culturally-biased attitude of fear.

"If no one goes, the media can continue to perpetuate the myth of dangers..." -Kristina Sophia