Yusuf Zaarur

Yusuf Za'arur was a world-renowned Iraqi-Jewish qanun player and director of Radio Orchestra of Baghdad during the 1930s. He was born in 1902 in Baghdad to a noble family with many children. As a child, he was swept away by the music and melodies in the synagogue and built himself a qanun-like instrument against the wishes of his parents, who feared that music would disrupt his general studies and Torah studies at the yeshiva. At the age of fourteen, he joined a group of people who made a living from the songs of blessings on celebrations. At the age of eighteen he bought himself his first qanun and soon mastered the intricate instrument and began to play flute, violin and cello as well. At the age of twenty, he opened a school for various musical instruments that was very successful. Being such an expert in the vast knowledge he acquired and in his absolute pitch, his playing on the qanun turned from a popular tune to modern and artistic playing, and he gained a much respectable status in the music world of Baghdad. He participated in many musical events and collaborated with many famous composers and singers, such as Sami Al-Shawwa, Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Umm Kulthum. In 1932, he won first place and received a medal at the First International Congress of Arab Music in Cairo, where he represented Iraq as the conductor and director of the official orchestra. In 1936, he was appointed director of the musical department at the Baghdad radio station by then Prime Minister Nuri al-Said. As part of his work, he examined many musicians for the purpose of establishing three musical ensembles: Iraqi, Kurdish and Egyptian. He also performed before the king, government ministers and the mayor of Baghdad. He had performed in Mandatory Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel, in 1944, and returned to Iraq. In 1951 he realized his ambition to make Aliyah to the Land of Israel, despite his great talent and honorable position as director at the Baghdad Broadcasting Station. He died in 1969 in Tel Aviv after a long and fruitful career.