Microphone in hand, Ibrahim took a deep breath and launched into an Iraqi folk song. Seconds later, his voice dropped lower. Then it started to crack. One of the judges raised his voice.

Close your eyes and the dusty ballroom of Hadira Shalal seems to come alive with the sounds of Iraqi folk music and the scent of booze and cologne.

Microphone in hand, Ibrahim took a deep breath and launched into an Iraqi folk song. Seconds later, his voice dropped lower. Then it started to crack. One of the judges raised his voice.

Next door, clarinetists and oboists congregate around a conference table to practice “On the Palm Trees,” a much-loved piece of Iraqi folk music.

This week, the free summer camp featured Bluegrass music, traditional Chinese music and Iraqi folk songs, along with dances and visual arts connected to these cultures. Event organizers hope the ...

Women from Iraq's Yazidi minority get together to perform centuries-old sacred songs. They've survived captivity by ISIS and loved ones' deaths. "They are trying to heal," says a Yazidi politician.

Radio Boston speaks with the oud and violin player Yoni Battat about how his music reflects his Iraqi and Jewish roots ahead of his performance at the Lowell Folk Festival.

Rows of white armchairs for foreign dignitaries have been arranged in front of a large screen, floodlights blaze above, drones hum overhead, and later a band seated on stage will play Iraqi folk songs ...