Afifa Iskandar: Google doodle on 98th birthday of Iraqi Blackbird

Happy Birthday Afifa Iskandar!!!

Google celebrates the 98^th birthday of the famous Iraqi singer, Afifa Iskandar. She was born on December 10, 1921 in Iraq’s Mosul.

Afifa Iskandar Estefan was considered one of the best female singers in Iraqi history. She was nicknamed the ‘Iraqi Blackbird’.

Inspired by her love of poetry, Afifa Iskandar built up an extensive catalog over the course of her career and is widely known as one of the most acclaimed female singers in Iraqi history. was born in Mosul to an Armenian father and a Greek mother. She lived in Baghdad, and started singing at the age of 5. At her first party in 1935, she sang Al maqam.

At the age of 12, she married an Armenian man named Iskandar Estefan and took his last name. She also worked as an actress and appeared in many productions. In 1938, she traveled to Egypt to work with Badia Masabni, Taheyya Kariokka, and Mohamed Abdel Wahab. She died of cancer on October 21, 2012 in Baghdad.

Throughout her career, Iskandar performed for Iraqi monarchs and government leaders. Iskandar voluntarily retired following the country’s 1979 political change. Though publicly silent, ‘Iraqi Blackbird’ never lost her passion for singing, performing for friends and loved ones in private.

Her music lives on today through songs like ‘Ya aqqid alhajibayn’ and ‘Ikhlas meni’ for the world to enjoy.

Google pays tribute to Afifa Iskandar on her 98^th birthday on December 10, 2019.