Song of Peace
Baghdad, Iraq  2002

      This musician was a frequent guest at Beit Al-Iraqi. He was soon to leave for a festival in Tunisia. He wasn’t able to converse in English, but was very interested in our visit and listened intently to our visit with Amal. When we were about to leave, Quinn, a member of our group, spontaneously sang “We Shall Overcome.” Responding, this gentleman improvised a song of peace, using the same melody but with intervals typical of Arab music. He sang as much with his face and hands as he did his voice. There was no need for a direct translation.

CSpaulding
January 2003