Been a Long Time Since Iraq 'n' Roll

[Monte Smith]

Talk about fighting for your right to party!



washingtonpost.com


Iraqi Boy Band Hopes Saddam's Fall Spells Stardom

Wednesday, June 11, 2003; 9:04 PM

By Andrew Marshall

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - They call themselves Unknown To No One, but the five Iraqis bidding to become the world's next chart-topping boy band are not exactly famous. Yet.

Despite being so short of places to rehearse that they often have to practice their singing while driving around the bomb- scarred streets of Baghdad crammed into an old Volkswagen Passat, the five young men have attracted the interest of a British pop consultant who thinks they can make it big.

The toppling of Saddam Hussein has given them the chance to chase their dream. But militant Muslim groups are growing in influence in Iraq -- and the last thing they would want to see is an Iraqi boy band singing and dancing in matching outfits.

Cinemas, breweries and alcohol stores have been threatened and attacked by militant groups, and in many areas women have been told not to walk outdoors without a veil. But Unknown To No One say they won't let extremists get in their way.

"We lived under dictatorship for 35 years. I'm not prepared to go through that again, and I don't think anybody is," said lead singer Nadeem Hamed, a 20-year-old biology student. "If people attack us for being in a band, that's terrorism."

The band's members -- they chose five as it is the standard boy band size -- span Iraq's religious and ethnic spectrum.

Founders Art Haroutunian, 25, and Shant Garabedian, 24, are Armenian Christians. Diyar Diler is a 21-year-old Sunni Muslim Kurd. Hamed and 21-year-old Hassan Ali al-Falluji are Shi'ite Arabs.

"We are all brothers here," said Haroutunian, who writes the band's songs. "There is no racism. No civil war."

TRENDY HAIRCUTS

Haroutunian and Garabedian formed the band in 1999 and advertised for members on Voice of Youth FM, the only radio station which played Western pop music during Saddam's rule. It was owned by Saddam's notorious playboy son Uday.

"We were inspired by boy bands like the Backstreet Boys, Westlife, those guys," said Falluji, who is studying chemistry at university. "They're famous and their music is really cool."

But the band's trendy haircuts, Western clothes and their decision to sing in English were frowned on.

"Saddam and his regime were hostile toward the West, and anything coming from Western culture was considered destructive to our society," said Haroutunian, who works for the trade ministry.

"They said the youth should be soldiers, must be ready to fight. Not ready to sing, to have love songs and such things."

A CD they recorded sold less than 2,000 copies. But one reached Peter Whitehead, a British pop consultant who runs an Internet database of aspiring bands. He was so impressed by one of their songs, "Hey Girl," that he plans to come to Baghdad.

The band believe that with professional backing, they can polish the single and make it a global chart-topper.

"I'd like to be the most famous rock star in the whole world," Hamed said. "I know it's a dream, but I dreamed people would hear of us outside of Iraq and it's happened, so why not try to push the dream further?"

Haroutunian said he was less concerned about selling millions of records than sending the right message about Iraq.

"The most important thing for me is not to get to the UK charts, but to reach the public in the West," he said.

"We want to show that Iraq is not a bad country. There are people who are educated, and cultivated, who really want to live in peace. We are not terrorists."

ANGRY PARENTS

But while they may one day have to deal with the pressures of fame, the band have more pressing things to worry about for the moment -- the chaos of postwar Iraq, a lack of instruments and equipment, and the disapproval of their parents.

"They told us we should get a job, earn a living, not spend our lives as musicians," said Garabedian, a goldsmith. "They told us being pop musicians had no future here in Baghdad."

There are few places they can practice. They usually sing while driving, or in Falluji's bedroom in a modest two-story Baghdad house. The room's walls are covered with posters of rock bands and a picture of U.S. actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.

"There's nowhere else to go," Haroutunian said.

All of the group have jobs or study at university, making it difficult to find time for music.

"We were in college, and we were working, and we were singing. We didn't have that much time," Haroutunian said.

"If you ask a pop band how long they are rehearsing each day, it's eight hours or 10 hours. We didn't have the time, just two or three hours. We didn't know if we were doing it right. We had no training. We just listened to CDs we liked and tried to create songs. It was very difficult for us."

Garabedian says that despite the difficulties, if the band is given a chance it will prove it can reach the top.

"As an Iraqi band who suffered all these years under the embargo and the sanctions and the regime, if we just reach the lowest position in the UK charts our dream would come true," he said. "Once we get there, with more help from big record companies, we could get to number one. I'm sure of that."





© 2003 Reuters

[Monte Smith]

I knew I should have entitled this thread either:

KILLING FOR BOY BANDS: THE TRUTH EMERGES

or

I'M POSTING THIS WITH AN IRAQI BOY BAND UP MY BUTT

[Uli]

Or: THE SECRET WEAPONS: IRAKI BOY BANDS LIBERATED

[Monte Smith]

Say what you want about the cost/benefit analysis of liberating Iraqi boy bands, but at least fame and lite dance music is a different path than suicide martyrdom. Any outlet for youthful energies that can be encouraged in the Arab world besides jihad, and any goal beyond the destruction of Zionism, is inarguably a good thing.

Inarguably? Well, not here probably.

[Uli]

Well Monte, if indeed we could make serious arguments. The article you posted is unfortunatly nottn but an infommercial. They don't have time to rehearse because they all have jobs and are studying. Oh yeah, were they studying?

[Tom Storer]

All that trouble for boy bands?? Those heathens should be playing jazz. What has the Bush administration done to export jazz to Iraq, eh? What? Nothing, that's what. Why? Because jazz doesn't sell, that's why. Not like oil. Ten-to-one those kids end up doing Christian rock, represented by John Ashcroft's agent.

[Monte Smith]

Originally posted by Tom Storer
All that trouble for boy bands?? Those heathens should be playing jazz. What has the Bush administration done to export jazz to Iraq, eh? What? Nothing, that's what. Why? Because jazz doesn't sell, that's why. Not like oil. Ten-to-one those kids end up doing Christian rock, represented by John Ashcroft's agent.

Hahahaha!

[Dr Dave]

Monte, check out the "You Really Got Me" thread.

THERE YOU GO!!!! That court appointed weasel and his henchmen bombed the shit outta those innocent people so they could plunder their boy bands and bring them over here to exploit them for millions doing commmercials for Pepsi, and Halliburton!!!! Where are the WMD's?! Where are the 64,000,000 invaluable museum pieces?! Where's Saddam?! Who killed Virginia Wolfe?! Where's Osama?! Where's Waldo?! What time is it?! It's all about the oil!! It's all about the oil!! HA! All you lock step Bushi's are really squirming now!!!!!!!

This post dedicated to my good friend Chris Albertson.

[Dr Dave]

Easy, Scott...down boy! It's just pixels on a screen!

Loot, Loot, LOOT!!!!!! The redneck righties are running the world!!!!!!!!!!!! BOMB TAHITI!!!!!!!!!!!!

[james harrigan]

Originally posted by Monte Smith
...militant Muslim groups are growing in influence in Iraq -- and the last thing they would want to see is an Iraqi boy band singing and dancing in matching outfits.

Finally, something that infidels and jihadists can agree on.

[moneyp]

Originally posted by Monte Smith
The toppling of Saddam Hussein has given them the chance to chase their dream. But militant Muslim groups are growing in influence in Iraq -- and the last thing they would want to see is an Iraqi boy band singing and dancing in matching outfits.

Wow, I never thought I'd agree with militant Muslim groups, but there you go!

[Monte Smith]

Now that you mention it, even I am going to have to say that I see the Muslim extremists' point on this one. Not that I don't laugh at the thought of shoving boy bands down their jihadi throats.

[mke]

Originally posted by Scott Dolan
BOMB TAHITI!!!!!!!!!!!!

We already did that.

[steve(thelil)]

I'm also posting with an Iraqi boy band up my butt, but it leaves me without much to say.

[tippy]

Geez, everything but the kitchen sink, eh thelil?

Or wait...don't tell me...