America’s such a big country with so many of its own overwhelming problems that we’re often blinded to the fact that many other countries face the exact same problems, ones that can’t be solved by Americans’ favorite prescription: ready cash.

Take racism. The US is a country whose wealth was built almost entirely on slavery (and, one could argue, whose wealth is still being built on slavery, de-facto or otherwise), an institution that can only truly exist where racism is nurtured. But it’s not the only country with a history of slavery. (I know, big surprise. We Americans always like to think we have a monopoly on everything.)

With the US’s bombing and occupation of Iraq, I’d never thought about race relations in that country. It seemed like there were more important things to worry about. But a fascinating report today by NPR journalist Corey Flintoff highlights the strangely dual position of black African descendants living in Basra.

What makes the story so interesting is the link back to these people’s musical roots. While black Basrawis, who Flintoff says have lived in Iraq for over a thousand years, are discriminated against and permitted into only menial jobs, their musicians are in high demand for weddings and other celebrations.

Yet the African descendants’ true musical passions seem to remain private, with music and ceremonies tapping sadder and more mystical roots than those required for Iraqi weddings. Check out the link above for a slideshow on “Preserving African Roots in Basra,” a series of rituals designed to summon a spirit from their traditional homeland.

The “Listen Now” link at the top of the story contains clips of this haunting music.

Related posts:

1. It’s a Tough Sell: Tourism in Iraq and Afghanistan.
2. Celebrate African American History Month on Perceptive Travel
3. South African music mix from Freshlyground
4. A Morning Walk in the South African Bush

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 at 11:24 am and is filed under Antonia projects, Middle East travel, world music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.