Biography
He was born in 1970 in Hungary. His mother is Hungarian, and his father was the oud artist Munir Bashir. His uncle, also an oud artist, was Jamil Bashir.
At the age of five, Bashir left Hungary with his parents to live in Iraq, where he was eventually to grow up. The oud which he uses in his performances is in the same one that he used as a child.
At the age of seven Bashir joined the Baghdad Music and Ballet School, the arts school he was attending when he made his oud solo debut at the age of nine, at the Baghdad Conservatory. In his late teens, he became a teacher at the Baghdad Music and Ballet school, creating his own band of twenty-four musicians specialising in classical Iraqi music. Bashir's debut with his father Munir Bashir was at the age of thirteen, and by the age of twenty, he was regularly performing alongside his father.
In 1991 Bashir's parents moved back to Hungary, where he studied piano, singing and direction of choir at the Liszt Ferenc University, continuing to work and perform Oud duets alongside his father, Munir Bashir, until his death in 1997. The father and son performed internationally, touring various Arab countries, the United States, Canada, and Russia.
The death of his father marked a turning point in Omar Bashir’s musical career. He collaborated with many international artists, on one occasion being granted copyright by the Gypsy Kings to perform one of their songs.
Bashir has won many recognitions and international award for his work and musical achievement. He has performed internationally in prestigious musical halls and often in the presence of notable figures.
On the first Anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Omar Bashir came to the United States by official invitation from the Institute of Arab Music and the United States government. The aim was to raise funds for the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra, which was brought over to perform in the US. He also took part in various charity performances to raise fund for Iraqi children.
Read more about this topic: Omar Bashir (singer)
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