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“Music feeds my soul. I listen to music when I am happy and when I am sad,” – says Rawnaq, a young Moslawi violinist, who even in her darkest hours believed music could empower people to achieve their goals and dreams.

Rawnaq, witnessed the devastation of war and oppression when Mosul fell to violent extremists in June 2014. She was only 15-years old. This Iraqi city, known as one of the oldest in the world, has for centuries been home to people from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and religious beliefs. This range of cultural influences gave life to many musical interpretations and expressions, which went silent in the summer of 2014, as music was criminalized. 

Today, the music is back in Mosul carried far and wide like the seeds of a dandelion flower, not elevated by the wind but rather on the varied tunes enriched by centuries of diverse musical traditions.   

Like many talented young people from Mosul, Rawnaq is paving a new way forward for her city. With her band, she plays music on its streets, raising awareness about women’s rights and shattering stereotypes.

Rawnaq uses music to tell a new story - the story of Mosul in revival, where women and men are equally engaged in rebuilding the place they call home.

As part of its flagship initiative to  through heritage, cultural life and education, UNESCO's project "Listening to Iraq" focuses on bringing different communities together and reviving its cultural life through music.

This project has been financed by UNESCO's through the generous support of the following partners: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Kingdom of Norway, the Government of Canada, ANA Holdings INC., the Principality of Monaco, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Estonia, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Slovak Republic, the Principality of Andorra, and the Republic of Serbia.