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A real-life modern Musical Mission of Peace into Baghdad: American couple put their hearts on the line and invade Iraq by singing popular Arabic music on the streets of Baghdad as the US Marines invade with weaponry in the spring of 2003. They give another message to Iraqi people: we're here to sing and to learn and to listen. How were they received? And what was it like for them in the streets of Cairo, Ramallah, Amman and other Arab cities armed only with their singing voices and an Oud, an ancient Arabic lute? This is a fantastic view into the hearts and minds of the Arab world unparalleled and unique in modern reporting.
There is a musician who had found a welcome. When he learned Armenian music, he was welcomed by Armenians. When he learned Turkish music, he was welcomed by Turks. He spent decades learning: the music of Peru, of Tadjikistan, of Greece, of Bulgaria, of Macedonia, of Spain, Iran, Mexico, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and yes, of Iraq! With friends all over the world, traveling was always a delight.
About the author
Cameron graduated with BA in Anthropology and Linguistics, University of Colorado, Boulder, with an emphasis on the study of Quechua, the language of the Incas.
Cameron also received a fellowship to attend a two-month intensive immersion program in the Inca language at Cornell University.
Cameron also received a scholarship to work on a Doctoral program in Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley. He continued to study the Inca language and began studies of the Tibetan language.
The warmth of his musically-oriented "extended family" in Peru served to draw him away from an academic career toward a performing musical career. It was there in Peru that he began to realize the value of being a musician as well as a linguist.
