The World Routes Academy

A SCHEME TO SUPPORT A NEW GENERATION OF WORLD MUSIC ARTISTS

In 2010, BBC Radio 3 launches a new scheme which aims to support and inspire young world music artists by bringing them together with an internationally renowned artist in the same field.

In the first year of the BBC Radio 3 World Routes Academy, the focus is upon two Iraqi musicians; the young, London based musician Khyam Allami is the first recipient of this scholarship and he will work with the celebrated Ilham al-Madfai, the guitarist, singer and composer who will take on the role of mentor.

Radio 3's weekly programme World Routes (Saturdays, 3pm) follows the partnership over the 9-months of the scheme featuring regular interviews, documentary material, recordings and performance.

In addition to following Khyam and Ilham's progress the programme takes a wider look at Iraqi music and cultural traditions.

Image gallery

1. 

   Radio 3 contributor Moshe Morad and Ilham Al Madfai

2. 

   Radio 3 contributor Moshe Morad and Ilham Al Madfai

3. 

   Ilham Al Madfai with BBC R3 sound engineer James Birtwistle

4. 

   Ilham al Madfai

5. 

   Ilham al Madfai

6. 

   Ilham al Madfai

7. 

   Khyam Allami

• 

  Khyam Allami

  Khyam Allami is a young and active London based musician of Iraqi descent. Born to an Iraqi family in Damascus, Syria, in 1981 and brought up in London from the age of 9, his passion for music began in Syria at the age of 8. From the Violin his interests moved towards Rock and in 1996 began to play Drums and Bass Guitar. In 2004 his interests took a turn once again and he began to study the 'Ud (or Oud - Arabic Lute), Arabic music theory and traditional Iraqi repertoire with the London based Iraqi maestro Ehsan Emam with who he continues to study today. Khyam graduated with a BA Honours in Music Studies (Ethnomusicology) from the University of London in June 2008, Throughout his BA, his studies focused on the 'Ud, the music of the Arab world, North Indian Classical Music and the Mugham tradition of Azerbaijan. During this period he also studied Indian Tabla for one and a half years with Guruji Sanju Sahai. His practical, performance based masters research focuses on the Iraqi 'Ud school, its influences and development, those being the Turkish and Egyptian 'Ud schools alongside the classical and folk music of Iraq.

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• Filmed at SOAS, London by Tomo Brody in June 2009
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  Ilham al-Madfai

  Ilham's musical talent began to develop at the age of twelve. He is still a guitarist at heart. He formed his first musical band in the sixties and they were the first band in Iraq that used "modern" instruments (guitar, drums, bass and piano) in playing Arabic music. Ilham pioneered Arabic-world music crossover. He was the first to modernize traditional and folklore Arabic songs. Ilham came to England to study architecture. He returned to Baghdad and subsequently introduced Spanish guitar rhythms to the Iraqi folklore song. He again left Iraq in 1979 and travelled to different countries but in 1990 he returned to Baghdad and decided to restart his musical career. His band Firqat Ilham performed music that combines his own music with world music. He continues to work on musical arrangements which feature his own mix of beats and instruments joining Arabic music with international tunes. Ilham has played a significant and major role in the development of Arabic rich musical heritage through his unique continuous new arrangement of classical Arabic songs.

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