The Khishba: The Drum That Defined Iraqi Sound

There is no sound more quintessentially Iraqi than the Khishba. A small wooden drum whose origins can be traced to the southern port city of Basra, Iraq. The Khishba is closely associated with Iraq's Afro-Iraqi community, who developed an entire culture around the instrument. Afro-Iraqis are largely descended from East Africans brought to Iraq through the Indian Ocean slave trade, with many tracing their roots to present-day Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

The exact origins of the Khishba remain debated. Some historians believe similar drums were used during the Abbasid era by enslaved communities during times of recreation, while others argue the instrument emerged among shipbuilding labourers in Basra, who fashioned drums from excess wood left over from construction. Another theory links the instrument to the legacy of the Zanj Rebellion, an uprising led by enslaved East Africans in Basra against the Abbasid Caliphate in 869 AD.

By the twentieth century, Khashaba had spread. What began as work songs evolved into a part of Iraqi popular culture. By 2003, there were reportedly more than fifty Khashaba ensembles performing in Basra alone, while the Basra National Khashaba Group had toured more than seventy countries.

The sound of the Khishba can still be heard across Iraq today. It remains a core feature of performances by the Kawleeya community, whose music and dance traditions have long been associated with weddings, celebrations and parties. The instrument has also found its way into Iraqi popular music, with artists such as Hussam Al-Rassam and Kadim Al Sahir incorporating Khishba into their songs.

From Basra's docks to Iraqi weddings, radio stations and pop songs, the Khishba remains one of the most recognisable sounds in Iraq.

Words by @smizzowrites