The Naphtha Maqam listening session provides an occasion to listen to Naphtha Maqam, an hour long sound piece that weaves together the history and current politics of European and American oil imperialism in the region of Kurdistan and Iraq. It comprises a series of funereal maqams, melodically Kurdish, lyrically English and is constructed from poetic writing, material from the National Archives and British Petroleum Archives and includes elements such as Wahid’s own voice alongside recordings of oil drilling rigs. Naphtha Maqam is written by Jala Wahid, performed by Amal Saeed Kurda and produced by Owen Pratt.
July 24, 2024
