Iraqi blogger inspires singer/songwriter to record song, make video
Written by Carson James
Inspiration can originate from anywhere. In the case of singer/songwriter Don Arbor, his album Salam Pax (Peace) was named after an Iraqi blogger who wrote detailed accounts of the death and destruction around him. Arbor wrote the title track about him, taking no political sides except for the humanitarian viewpoint of war being wrong. The video for the song will be shown at the Berkeley Film and Video Festival on September 27th. Arbor sat down with Hellhound On My Trail to discuss his art and politics.
Carson James: Your voice takes me back to the late ’60s and early ’70s without consciously aping any artists from that period. Did you always sing this way or did it ripen with age?
Don Arbor: I grew up with music all around me. Both my parents had great, melodic, pure singing voices. I know that was a big influence on how I hear music and the way I sing. One of my favorite singers of all time is Roy Orbison. I wouldn’t say I try to sing like him, but he’s definitely an influence. But then again, I also like David Byrne, Bob Marley, and Chris Brown. And so many others who no doubt have filtered into my own singing in ways I couldn’t explain.
James: How did you discover the Iraqi blogger Salam Pax?
Arbor: I discovered Salam Pax while following the news online about the inevitable invasion of Iraq in 2003. It was a time of great sadness and frustration for me. I felt strongly, then and now, that the invasion was a tragic mistake based on weapons of mass deception, and a preconceived plan rather than any threat to our country. It was so hard to find common ground about these thoughts; the government and the media were beating the war drums constantly. When I read Salam Pax’ stories, I felt like I had found an authentic voice that cut through the white noise of the media and told me what was really going on. Salam Pax’ insight, courage and ironic humor were very important to me. It felt like I was reading something a friend or neighbor could have written.
James: What song on the album is most personal to you and why?
Arbor: “Salam Pax (Peace)” is the most personal song for me because it somehow manages to convey both my emotional and intellectual reactions to the insanity of war at the same time. “I Let It Go” is also a very personal song, but in a much different way.
James: “Salam Pax (Peace)” has been chosen to appear at the Berkeley Film and Video Festival. Have you ever considered entering the world of movies?
Arbor: I’ve always liked the movies, but I’ve never really considered entering that world in a serious way. I plan to stick with music and songwriting. I’m not ruling out making more videos in the future, but I don’t have any particular plans to do that. It would depend on having a song that would benefit from a visual presentation, rather than doing a video for its own sake.
James: How do you feel about the upcoming presidential election? Will your views on the Iraq War play the most important role in deciding who to vote for?
Arbor: I think that Barack Obama is a very different person and politician from those who have come before. Obama would bring respectability and vision that have been sorely lacking in Washington. The McCain campaign has been a depressing rehash of the same tactics that George W. Bush and Karl Rove used. It is certainly important to me that Obama saw the mistake of invading Iraq. There are other, equally important reasons why I support him, like changing the course of global warming and ending our excessive use of fossil fuels; fairness to working people; and Obama’s ability to listen to others and to seek synthesis rather than division. These are the hallmarks of what we need, as a people and as a planet, in the 21st century.
