The Life Of Omar Bashir

1970- He was born in Baghdad. He started to play the oud at the age of five. His father
the famous oud player Moneer Bashir had taught him. At the age of seven he joined the
musical school and belly dance in Baghdad.

1979- His first brake through: At the age of nine he played for the first time on stage at
the Khold Theater in Baghdad.

1987- He joined The Institution for Musical Studies in Baghdad. He studied el oud, Iraqi
MAKAM and the history of music. He graduated in 1991.

1986- His father had established a band specialized with the traditional Iraqi music. It
consisted of 24 players. He was the manger and the maestro. This band made a tour
through out several Arab and Europe countries. It won with his leadership various awards
and acknowledgements.

1991- Omar had traveled to Budapest to continue his studies. He chose Hungarian
folklore music.

1988- Omar started his profession as a solo oud player. He performed at several musical
nights around the world. Along with his father they became an extraordinary musical duet
and they performed in Europe and Arab countries. Their first CD, which was produced in
1997, won award of best playing and best sound.

2000- A CD was produce to Omer under the title MAKAM. He presented the Iraqi
improvising. Therefore, he deserved the title: The OUD Prince by the French journalists
and critics.
He won several awards and acknowledgments through his participation in the western
and orient worlds. He owns 16 CDs and in each one he presents the oud in a new form
and technique. From his work: From Forat to Danube, Andalusia, A Voice from Cultures,
My Memories, Makam, To my Father, The Flamingo Night, The Hungarian Oud. (For
the first time in history he mixed the Hungarian, Romanian and Arabic music). And in his
CD The Latin Oud which was produced 2005, he presented el oud in a sprit of Latin and
Arabic music. It also was produced by EMI Company for musical productions.

Omar started to establish a band consisted of players who are able to play orient rhythms
on western musical instruments. He used this combination in order to emphasize his new
style of oud through his musical pieces. This band is a continuation for TRIO OMAR
BASHIR. This trio was established in 1997 from two guitar players ANDREAS and
PETZ PALINT and OMAR on oud.
2008- He performed his first musical concert with his new band all around the world
under the title (Oud around the World). This tour was a huge success and gained lots of
fans. This tour was based on presenting: Iraqi, Egyptian, Turkish, Hungarian, Spanish,
Andalusia, Indian folklore and few pieces from is father MONEER BASHIR. In other
words Omer took the listener in a tour around the world in two hours.

2009- A DVD was produced and the first of its kind for the oud instrument for EMI
productions. And a CD under the title (OUD AROUND THE WORLD)

“Listening to different cultural music all over the world and be engaged into their culture
and folklore, in addition to my studies of Arabic music and Iraqi makamat, these facts
became a major elements in my successful musical performance throughout my career as
oud player. This knowledge helped me always to present the oud instrument in new
forms, which to me this is a proof for the greatness and originality of the oud” Omar
said.