Nazem Al-Ghazali

Who was Nazem Al-Ghazali?

Nazem El Ghazali was one of the most popular singers in the history of Iraq and his songs are still heard by many in the Arab world. He was born in the Haydar Khanah quarter in Baghdad, and studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Iraq. He started his career as an actor, and after a few years turned to singing. He worked at the Iraqi Radio in 1948, and was member of the Andalusian Muashahat Ensemble. In that period, he worked with the great oudist Jamil Bashir, and together they produced some distinguished works, such as Fog el-Nakhal and Marrou 'Alayya el-Hilween. He was also a student of Muhammad al-Qubbanchi, one of the most prominent maqam singers of the last century. Nazem was renowned for his popular songs and he has also recorded some maqams. According to many, his refined mellow voice was the finest in the field.

He was married to prominent Iraqi Jewish singer Salima Murad.