1987–1996: Formative period Although Al-Sahir generally steers clear of
political themes, his 1987 song "Ladghat al-Hayaa" (“The Snake Bite”)—aired on
Iraqi television a year before the
Iran–Iraq War ended—sparked controversy because its lyrics were interpreted as a critique of the conflict. Broadcast officials demanded that he alter the lyrics or face the song being banned. Nizar Qabbani, who previously wrote lyrics for superstars of the 1960s and 1970s like
Abdel Halim Hafez and
Najat Al Saghira, wrote the lyrics to more than 30 of Al Sahir's songs, including “Zidini Ashqan” (“Love Me More”), “Hal Endak Shak” (“Do You Have a Doubt”), and “Ahibini Bella Ukad” (“Love Me With No Constraints”), among many others. In addition to Qabbani's poems, Al Sahir sang both political and romantic songs for Iraq and
Baghdad, highlighting the feelings of the citizens of Iraq as well as their tragedies. In 1995, Al Sahir travelled to
Northern England to film the music video for his notable sentimental ballad “Ha Habibi” ("Hey, My Beloved") in the
Sunny Bank and
Coniston Water area of the
Lake District. In November 1996, Al Sahir traveled to Germany to film his music video for “Zidini Ashqan” in
freezing conditions at locations including Schloss Landsberg in
Ratingen, as well as
Leverkusen and
Burscheid. The music video was directed by Jordanian filmmaker Hussein Daibis, with assistance from Lebanese director Saeed Al-Marouk and a German crew, and produced by the
Arab Radio and Television Network (ART).
1998–2003: Breakthrough Al Sahir continued to release albums and tour, having become a big name in Middle Eastern music. His
ballads grew bigger and more romantic, but he would also write classically influenced works, even when they might hurt his popularity. In 1998, Al Sahir filmed "Quli Ohiboka" ("Tell Me You Love Me") at the
Spanish Steps and Castello di Tor Crescenza in
Rome, Italy. By 1998, he had ten albums under his belt and was lauded as an artist, not just a pop star. That prestige brought him wider fame and a growing international reputation that won him a
UNICEF award for his song "
Tathakkar", which he performed in the U.S. for
Congress and the United Nations–one of the first real post-Gulf War cultural exchanges. The following year, he recorded a tribute to the
Pope with the
Italian Symphony Orchestra. Releasing numerous albums and touring extensively in this era, Al Sahir became both a high-grossing superstar and a respected musical artist. In 2000, Al Sahir traveled to
Los Angeles to film the music video for ‘La Titnahad’ (‘Don’t Sigh’) at a storefront on
Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of North Martel Avenue in the
Fairfax District. Kadim Al Sahir's music video for "Akrahouha" ("I Hate Her") was filmed in Venice, Italy, featuring Al Sahir singing along the city's iconic canals. Following the
U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Al Sahir's music changed to reflect new regional and global attention to Iraq during wartime. As scholar Christopher Phillips writes in
Everyday Arab Identity (2012): "Although Iraqi singers were not historically that well known due to their isolation from the wider Arab world during Saddam Hussein’s rule, Kathem al-Saher made a name for himself after 2003, singing in classical Arabic, often about the destruction of Iraq under occupation and war. His success might indicate a certain level of Arab solidarity, with viewers opting to show their support for Iraq through the purchase of songs depicting its misfortune."
2004–2010: Collaborations In 2004, Al Sahir collaborated with
Lenny Kravitz and released an anti-war song at
Rock The Vote, titled "We Want Peace", and shortly afterward released a song entitled "The War Is Over" (Entahat al harab) with
Sarah Brightman, which was released on her album
Harem and his album
Hafiat Al-Kadamain. Both of these international duets were executive produced by Dergham Owainati, of
EMI Music Arabia, for Kadim's part. In 2004, Al Sahir continued to work with various international artists including
Grammy Award-winning producers
KC Porter, and
Quincy Jones. His collaboration "Love & Compassion" (Hob Wa Haneen) was the title track for the
Arab American National Museum Collector's edition honoring the artists that have made the most significant difference with international audiences. The track features Grammy winning singer/songwriter
Paula Cole,
Def Jam recording artist
Karina Pasian, and
Luis Conte and was produced by
KC Porter and
Dawn Elder. In 2004, he participated in the worldwide broadcast concert special "We are the Future" produced by Quincy Jones and coordinated by Dawn Elder at the Roman Maximos Stadium in Rome for the benefit of the children of the world. In December 2004, he participated in the opening of the Gulf Football Championship (Khaleeji 17) in which he performed the return of Iraq Operette which was broadcast live on 10 satellite channels. Additionally, in 2004, he was the first Arab artist to participate in
Unity, the official album of the
2004 Summer Olympics. Releasing his album
Ila Tilmitha on November 11, 2004. The album contains collaborations with the Moroccan
Asma Lamnawar whom Kadim Al Sahir discovered earlier and introduced to the Arab world in her first due song with Kadim "ashko ayaman". The album also included the song "Ahbeni," written by poet Nizar Qabbani, shot as a video clip by Husien Duibes; it became a major hit in the year 2004 alongside the song "Ila Tilmitha."
2011–present: Later career UNICEF named Al Sahir as the new
Goodwill Ambassador for Iraq for the year 2011. For Al Sahir, this was a compelling reason to visit his country after 14 years. He sang Bokra ("Tomorrow"), a charity single that was released on November 11, 2011, at 11:11 pm, along with
Rim Banna,
Akon,
Tamer Hosni,
Diana Karazon,
Marwan Khoury,
Latifa,
Souad Massi,
Hani Mitwassi,
Saber El Robai,
Wa'ed,
Sherine, and other Arab artists. The single distributed the proceeds of its donations to various organisations, especially institutions and charities with arts and culture programs. The eight-minute song was written by
Majida Al-Roumi and was produced by
Quincy Jones and
RedOne. He debuted as a coach for MBC
The Voice Kids, and his team member Lynn Hayek from Lebanon was the winning contestant in the Season 1 Finale held on March 5, 2016. In collaboration with an Abu Dhabi cultural foundation, he performed solo in his first virtual hybrid concert in 2020 due to the
pandemic. Al Sahir emphasized his commitment to innovation, stating he will not perform without introducing new material. This aligns with his legacy as a pioneer of Arabic music, blending classical and modern styles. After his concert in the Saudi city of
Al-Taif in July 2018, several pro-government Saudi commentators speculated that Qatar might revoke his citizenship due to the
ongoing blockade imposed on the gas-rich emirate by Saudi Arabia and its allies. In the months following the blockade's start in June 2017, Al-Sahir was reported to have performed at a private event in Qatar. This led some Saudis to speculate that his planned concerts in Saudi Arabia would be cancelled—but they proceeded as scheduled. ==Personal life==