Iraqian singer. Caricature published in( issue No.1196_Funon journal _ Damascus 1/1/2004) Ilham's musical talent began to seriously develop at his young age of twelve. He started, and still is, a guitarist at heart. His musical career formally started when he formed his first musical band, Twisters. Twisters had an electric guitar, bass guitar and drums. They were the first band in Iraq, and probably the Arab world, that used "modern" instruments in playing Arabic music. Ilham pioneered Arabic-world music crossover. He modernized traditional and folklore Iraqi songs, giving a new wider appeal and new freshness, placing it squarely in the modern era. Although the Twisters created a new wave in Arabic music, Ilham was criticized heavily by the media for being an eccentric and for modifying the long maintained musical traditions. Furthermore, his family who enjoys a high social profile, where some of them held high governmental positions, were not against his musical style as such, but were against his involvement in music as a concept. their concern was regarding their son, Ilham developing a socially inappropriate career. A few years later, Ilham left Baghdad to England to study Architecture. They young student played with a group and performed at Al-Bayt Al-Baghdadi in London (AKA Cafe Baghdad). Ilham attracted a special distinct audience including Paul McCartney, Donovan and Georgie Fam alongside many Jazz musicians who enjoyed his unique performance. He probably was the first modern era Iraqi artist to cross the borders and reach out to a cosmopolitan audience. When Ilham returned to Baghdad in 1967, he formed his well known band, 13 ½. this time, Ilham introduced Spanish guitar rhythm from Andalusia to the Iraqi folklore song, appealing to a newer, younger audience. he reached a peak in popularity throughout the 70s, the time of the oil boom which Iraq enjoyed international relations in. Due to many reasons, Ilham left Iraq in 1979 leaving behind his wealth, popularity and most unfortunate of all - his music. he travelled to different countries pursuing a new career. But his passion for music remained and every now and then he would perform a concert somewhere in the world. Recordings of these concerts made their way to Baghdad to the delight of his fans, keeping them in touch with his newer work. When the Gulf War started in 1991, Ilham returned to Baghdad and decided to restart his musical career. He formed Firqat Ilham (Ilham's Band). They played primarily in Khan Mirjan, a popular venue in Baghdad. Ilham, like most of his fellow countrymen, had to struggle to re-establish his life during the 90s. He earned his living through the concert circuit around the world, from North America to Europe through South Korea, reuniting with his faithful audience from over three decades - sharing his longing and nostalgia for the homeland. Ilham's outstanding talent is recognized throughout the world. during his musical career he performed with talents as diverse as Donovan, Art Blakey, Johny "Ace" Harris, Munir Basheer, Tommy Aros, Nadhum Al-Ghazali, Glen Fisher, Chico, Sabah, Hollis Gentry, Aboud Abdul AAl. he also collaborated lyrically with poets like Nazar Qabbani, Bedr Shakir Al-Sayab, Ilyya Abu Maadhi, Abul Qasim Al-Shabi and Abdel Wahab Al-Bayati. After his triumphant comeback, Ilham continued to experiment in fusing different styles, mainly Oriental, Latin and Jazz. He also re-recorded his most popular songs with a new spirit: In different places, with different people and at different times. A selection of his music was compiled and released by EMI Music Arabia in 1999 on the Virgin Label, as the self entitled album, Ilham Al-Madfai.