Kadim Al Sahir

Kadim Jabbar Al Samarai (born 12 September 1957), better known by his stage name Kadim Al Sahir (Arabic: كاظم الساهر), is an Iraqi singer and composer. Dubbed The Caesar, he has earned numerous local, regional, and international awards. One of the most famous singers in the Arab world, Al-Sahir has sold more than 100 million albums and written more than 40 hit songs, including "Ana Wa Layla" (Me and Layla), "Salamtak Men Al Ah" (Get Well Soon) and "La Titnahad" (Don’t Sigh).

In 1980, Al-Sahir started teaching music. Two years later, he pursued studies at the Institute of Music of Baghdad. By 1988, he gained popularity in many Arab countries with compositions such as "Ladghat El-Hayya" and "Abart El-Shat". His musical career was hindered by the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1990. After leaving Iraq, his songs and titles championed the Iraqi people while they lived under Saddam Hussein's rule and Western sanctions. In 2011, he was named a goodwill ambassador by the UNICEF.

Al-Sahir has performed a wide range of Arabic music from pop to classical and singing in most Arabic dialects. His music is known for fusing traditional Arabic melodies with diverse international music forms. He has collaborated with international stars such as Quincy Jones, Sarah Brightman, Lenny Kravitz, and had frequent partnerships with the revered Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani. His romantic poetry in music has established him as a cultural icon.

He appeared as a judge in the television show The Voice: Ahla Sawt from 2012 to 2015, alongside Assi El Hallani, Sherine, and Saber Rebai. In 2020, he appeared on the frontpage of Vogue Man Arabia. Al Sahir was born in Mosul, Iraq on September 12, 1957, to a Sunni father and a Shia mother from Najaf. His father lived in Baghdad but was a Samarra native from the tribe of Darraj. Kadhem Al Sahir grew up and spent a large part of his life in Al-Hurrya neighborhood in Baghdad.

Apart from his mother, Al Sahir's family were never supportive of his direction in becoming a musician. They had no faith in him that he would become successful, and instead wanted him to become a doctor or a lawyer. Al Sahir's brother once took him to different places where people usually sang, and told him it was his choice to sing in a respectful way, or he could choose to do it the bad way. He said that the only way to achieve success is for one to respect his music and respect himself.

Al Sahir left Iraq in the early 1990s after the Gulf War. He did not have a permanent residence and frequently moved, mainly between Cairo, Dubai, Beirut, and Paris, though as of 2022 he settled with his family in Rabat, Morocco. He has two sons, Wisam and Omar Al Sahir, both of them married. Kadim is also a grandfather to Wisam's daughter Sana.

In February 2019, Kadim officially asked to change his last name from Al Samarai to Al Sahir.