Iraqi singer’s music still brings split society together

By SAMYA KULLAB and SALAR SALIM
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi singer Sajida Obeid is a unifying figure in Iraq’s fractured society. For older Iraqis, the 63-year old is a symbol of a bygone golden era. To the young, her upbeat love songs and subtly racy lyrics have become a channel for self-expression in a largely conservative society. And regardless of age, her catchy melodies make the audience want to dance. At a concert in Baghdad on Monday night, the crowd was enticed by the raw power of her voice. But there is also political baggage. She was a darling of the party scene during the era of dictator Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a U.S.-led invasion in 2003.