You are here: Home » Security » Basra’s battered culture re-emerges

Basra’s battered culture re-emerges

Iraq’s artistic centre tries to recover from militia rule.

By Ben Lando of Iraq Oil Report
Published May 25, 2009

By ABDULADHIM KARIM
Institute for War & Peace Reporting

BASRA - The unveiled female dancers shimmied across the stage in ornate red dresses, their hips and arms flowing to the drum beats of Basra’s famous Khashaba music as the audience clapped along.

The performance, held by the Basra Band for Folklore Arts during a festival to honour the city being designated Iraq’s cultural capital for 2009, stood in stark contrast to a festival held last year. Fearing Basra’s notoriously brutal m...

This content is for registered users. Please login to continue.
If you are not a registered user, you may purchase a subscription or sign up for a free trial.