Ilham al-Madfai

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Ilham al-Madfai إلهام المدفعي
Al Madfai performing in 2005
Background information
Also known as	The Baghdad Beatle
Born	1942 (age 81–82)
Origin	Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1961–present
Labels	EMI, Virgin

Ilham al-Madfai (Arabic: إلهام المدفعي) (born 1942)^[1][2] is an Iraqi guitarist, singer and composer. al-Madfai's synthesis of Western guitar stylings with traditional Iraqi music has made him a popular performer in his native country and throughout the Middle East. Beginning in 1999, al-Madfai released a string of albums on EMI's label, including his platinum^{[citation needed]} eponymous debut, Ilham al-Madfai (1999), Live at the Hard Rock Cafe (2001), Baghdad (2003) and The Voice of Iraq: The Best of Ilham al-Madfai (2005). In 2009, Al-Madfai released Dishdasha. His Western-inspired compositions led to a nickname; "The Baghdad Beatle".