Your Quintessential Iraqi Mixtape by Shakomakonet

Words shakomakonet

It’s almost impossible to pay homage to the entire repertoire of Iraqi music in one playlist, even if it was a million hours long. These 31 tracks only scratch the surface of a body of work steeped in dozens of traditions, languages and histories, some thousands of years old.

There is one thing that unites music from Iraq, whether it’s a folkloric tune from Baghdad, an oud masterpiece floating across the mountains or the North or a fiery dance track infused by the magic of the South, and that is love. Poetry carves out the tongues of Iraqis, at home and in the diaspora. At times, it is unspoken, coloring piercing eyes and luscious lips instead, but it is always there, with every dance move, and with every stretched out sigh. It is what makes music from Iraq so delicious. We hope that this playlist invites you to dive deeper into the music of Iraq, until you lose yourself. This mixtape is a quintessential Iraqi music compilation by shamokamonet, a platform and collective dedicated to sharing stories inspired by Iraq.