Munir Bashir was considered as one of the Greates musicians of the Middle East in the 20th century . Bashir is well known for his cultural contribution and speciality at the Arabic maqam system and was among the first Arabic instrumentalists famous in Europe and America. Bashir’s music is distinguished by his unique style which include improvisation that inspired by his knowledge and experience at the fields of Indian and european music and tonal art.
Munir Bashir style was inspired by the different styles and traditions in the region of north iraq, bashir experienced byzantine, kurdish, assyrian, turkish, persian and abbasidian music which highly affected his art. Not Only this, but his open-minded personality gave bashir his curiousity at north-indian and european music.
Munir was born in 1930, and started His Musical Education young at the age of five, learned from His father which was the first oud teacher of munir and his brother Jamil. The Oud has a long rich history, and munir bashir has an important role in it.
Munir bashir style of playing the oud was differ from other famous our players, his speciality was in the field of improvisation at the maqam form in the arabian music and his pioneering work in it. Generally, the arabic music is much more interesting and complicated in its rhythems then the european one. Bashir's way of playing and picking with the invention of new tuning systems was the earmaek of his work.
Bashir was honored in his late years for his, gained a position of the vice president of unesco music council, the french legion's knight and positioned in the arabic music academy in baghdad , iraq. Munir bashir died in Budapest hungary year 1997 due to heart failure at the age of 68.
