Beneath a tree beside the Bow River, Ahmed Moneka and Kimberley Dooshima Jev begin a conversation about music that soon becomes something deeper: a reflection on migration, identity and the many ways we carry home with us.
In “Rooted Like a Tree,” Moneka shares how the Arabic Maqam traditions of southern Iraq coexist with jazz, funk, reggae, blues, soul and Afro-diasporic rhythms in his evolving musical language. For the Black Iraqi artist, music is more than performance. It is a sacred ritual connecting past, present and future—and a responsibility to the generations on either side of us.
His words, “When you connect to your roots, you become like a tree,” form the heart of a story exploring belonging, active listening and the histories linking Iraq, East Africa and communities across the diaspora.
Set against the Calgary Folk Music Festival, the conversation reminds us that migration does not sever our roots. Even when they can no longer be seen, they continue to nourish who we are and who we are becoming.
Read “Rooted Like a Tree” in full at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.