Rida Al Abdullah

During one attempt to leave the military, Rida was caught and jailed for 100 days. While in detention, he witnessed horrific acts of torture—experiences that he says haunt him to this day. Later, he was condemned have one of his ears cut off and to spend sixteen years in prison. In addition, Rida was to have a cross tattooed to his forehead, ensuring that he would never marry or obtain a job upon his release. Rida was transferred to a military camp where he was tortured and beaten for three days. On the fourth day, in the middle of the night, two men gagged him in his cell and threw him into the trunk of a car. They drove him hundreds of miles into the desert. The car stopped and when his blindfold was removed, Rida saw that his abductors were in fact his two brothers. They took him by his home to see his parents for just a few minutes. He was given a passport and told he had less than 24 hours to leave Iraq.

Rida began performing private concerts and weddings in Dubai, and his reputation grew. His first single "Meleh Wa Zad (Salt and Food)"—a reworking of a classic—became the top song in the Emirates for 1997. His next one "Hali (My Family)" was an original composition about a man who yearns to marry for love, against the advice of his family. From there, Rida recorded three albums for Rotana/EMI, Zalim (2001), Boadak Habiby (2003), and Enha Bzaman (2005). Boadak Habiby was a crossover from classical singing into Arabic pop. Romantic themes in Rida's lyrics were designed as parables for political woes.

In July 2009, Rida is releasing his fourth album, "Yom Wa Sana (A Year and a Day)," a set of fourteen songs he produced and recorded with his team. The product of four years work, this album blends traditional Iraqi songs, Arabic and Western pop from maqam to techno. It incorporates violins, oud, cello, flute, clarinet playing in an Arabic mode, also guitars, saxophones, and Western and Arabic percussion including tabla, trap drums, and rhythmic loops. Among Rida's original compositions is "La Tesafer (Don't Go)," written for his mother about the time he left Iraq in 1997. The album's title song refers to a romance Rida had as a young man in Iraq.

In 1997 Rida could barely walk or talk and he set out for the Jordanian border with just a few clothes and his oud. At the border, hundreds of people waited for him. Rida thought his crossing might take days, but as luck would have it, within fifteen minutes the border officer called his name. Rida says these experiences made him more determined than ever to succeed with his music. Rida went to Amman, and then the college town of Irbid, where he performed in restaurants. An Emirati student who recognized Rida's talent helped him obtain a visa to Dubai, and he began recording the songs that would define his career.

Rida continued his musical studies at the Academy of Arts, Music and Theatre. He began recording his music, although Iraq's music industry was in disarray at the time and his work was not promoted. During the invasion of Kuwait and the ensuing Gulf War, Rida composed songs that encouraged citizens to put down weapons and take up instruments. Rida's musical life went on hold in 1993 when he graduated and was immediately drafted into the Iraqi Army to serve the obligatory eighteen months. The Army refused to discharge him at the end of his service, and Rida feared he would spend his life in the military and never realize his dream of becoming a singer. When his parents were detained and tortured by the authorities, Rida's personal life became overwhelmed with responsibility, as he had to support ten brothers and sisters who he continues to support to this day.

Rida Al Abdulla (Arabic: رضا العبد الله ‎; also spelled Rida Al Abdallah, Reda Al Abdullah; born 5 July 1966) is an Iraqi singer. He gained attention across the Arab world for his singles "Bo'dak Habibi", "Qasawa", "Dhalim", "Min Trid Abousak", "Al Asabe3", "Melih Wa Zad", "Ya Hali" and many other hits including "Weinkom Ya Arab" ("Where are the Arabs"), which was a protest song against the war 2006 Lebanon-Israeli war. His new album "Yom Wa Sana" was released in July 2009 and it includes 14 songs all written and composed by Rida himself.

Rida Al Abdulla was born in Iraq in 1966. His work bridges Arabic classical music (maqam) with popular styles of his region and beyond. The poetry he adapts and lyrics he composes address themes of human relationships and sociopolitical ideas.