In 2019, two years after the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was liberated from the three-year reign of the so-called Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Da’esh), Younis Qays, a Mosulian, (or Maslawi as people from Mosul are known) born into a family of artists, began dreaming of a project to help reclaim the cohesion that once existed between all the ethnic and religious groups in the Nineveh Governorate.

Home to around four million people – a mix of Arabs, Assyrians, Turkmen, Kurds, Yazidis, Armenians and Shabaks, whose religious beliefs range from Sunni and Shia Islam to Christianity and Yazidism – the province is famed for its cultural diversity. “I was trying to figure out a way to involve the various components of Nineveh’s population with their mix of cultural expressions,” the 28-year-old tells Equal Times. Later on, he met Sipan Mizori, a music composer also from Mosul, who wanted to film a music video that would show their native city, in ruins since IS’s departure, attempting to move on.

But Qays had something bigger in mind. That’s how the idea of the Nineveh Operetta came about, a collaborative audio and visual artwork highlighting each of the various different languages, music styles, instruments, songs, poems and traditional clothing from across the province.

Production for the project – the first of its kind – began in 2020. After selecting some of the most skilled musicians, singers and composers from across Nineveh, and presenting the idea to them, Qays connected each of the 68 artists with Mizori who then created melodies, instructed them on how to perform the musical works, and invited them to add their own improvisations.

During a preparation period that lasted more than 18 months, the ensemble was formed and trained, all the songs and music tracks were recorded, and the work in the studio was filmed behind the scenes. The ultimate goal of the project is a video showcasing every artist performing, but for now, completion of the project is contingent on further funding.

“We have a long history of harmonious co-existence”

Qays says that collective artwork is hugely important in a territory that has suffered violent extremism and destruction, not only to help overcome the stigma of Iraq being a dangerous place rife with sectarian divisions, but also to reclaim the peace and unity of Iraq’s most ethnically and religiously diverse region. This is particularly true of Mosul, once an IS stronghold. Before Islamic insurgents occupied the city, it was well-known for its vibrant arts and social scene, while diversity, pluralism and coexistence had characterised the region for millennia.

“We are trying to send a message that our province has a long history of harmonious coexistence between different religions and sects,” Mizori, the project’s music coordinator, tells Equal Times.

Bred in Mosul and currently based in the United States, he recalls his youth: “Back then, we Sunnis were living alongside Christians and Shias. We would keep good relations with one another. For example, we used to give Christmas greetings and were greeted by non-Muslims at Eid or during Ramadan.”

The operetta will open with a performance set in the ancient city of Hatra, where the former Miss Iraq 2021, Maria Farhad, will appear in the form of an Assyrian queen in traditional dress to recite a piece by the poet Muhammad Al-Ghabsha. Accompanied by a piano solo performed by Ramy Omer, the poem depicts the beauty of the province’s history, civilization and heritage.

“It’s my pleasure to play a role in the operetta. The aspect I like the most is how it revives the heritage of all segments of the Nineveh Plains,” the 21-year-old former Miss Iraq, born to an Assyrian Christian family in Qaraqosh, tells Equal Times. “Embodying such unity and reconciliation is significant after our province endured so much oppression and violence during the time of ISIS,” says Farhad, who was herself forced to move out of Mosul in 2014.

Following the opening scene, the operetta will feature artists from each of the specific, distinct components of the Nineveh region singing and playing instruments in a variety of styles, languages and dialects, and wearing their traditional costumes. Parts of the performance will also be filmed in various historical and archaeological locations including Hamdaniya, Bartella, Bashiqa, Tal Afar, Sinjar, Hatra and Qayyarah, with each group of performers shown in their towns and villages of origin. The last part will display the whole group of artists in a heritage site in Mosul, in addition to foreign musicians, rappers and singers from Italy, the US, France and Pakistan.

“ISIS did not change us”

Loubna Al Khalily, a 28-year-old Yazidi from the town of Bashiqa, contributed to the project as a singer. Working as an English teacher, she has been singing since the age of 10 and began to perform in public three years ago.

After writing lyrics and going over several rehearsal sessions online, with Mizori’s guidance, Al Khalily recorded her track in the studio. “The song I composed is about people in Bashiqa living peacefully, the sense of belonging to our hometown, and our love for Nineveh overall,” she explains.

For the emerging vocalist, it was her first time singing in her own language (Kurmanji) and traditional music style, an experience that she says she enjoyed very much. In her view, bringing about the culturally rich mix of Nineveh in one musical project is an effective way to reach out to Iraqi people and convey a message of peace:

“It’s important to show that we are still the same people who live in harmony. That ISIS didn’t change us and nothing will make us hate one another.” She adds: “I want all Iraqis to know that we will stay united in this region, whatever happens.”

Mizori notes how excited the participating artists were to be involved in the project, with each person bringing their unique style to light, and the varied musical genres standing out in solos or duets and blending in an orchestra. “They loved the idea. Introducing people to all these cultures in Iraqi society is something no one has ever done before,” he explains.

The participation of several female performers in the ensemble is also noteworthy: “This is the first joint artwork that involves girls and women from Mosul participating,” the project manager affirms proudly, saying that he hopes it will contribute to encouraging women to take a role in the arts and in other areas of public life.

Qays financed the preparatory phase of the operetta out of his own pocket, and is now seeking external funds in order to complete, release and distribute the work to a wider audience. Once the funding is secured, the next step will be producing a film documentary about the operetta that will include interviews with the participating artists.