One man and his cello: The power of music in Baghdad

One musician is trying to ease fears of bomb threats in Baghdad by taking his cello to the streets.

Karim Wasfi plays his cello on the streets of Baghdad. Source: SBS News

Karim Wasfi and his cello have become a familiar sight on the streets of Baghdad.

 

The conductor of the Iraqui national Symphony Orchestra, his smart suit and cello is in stark contrast to the death and devastation around him.

 

"I'm helping people, I'm empowering their self confidence, empowering their commitment to life, not death," Wasfi says.

 

Children, displaced by IS, are an enthusiastic audience.

 

"I will not stop at this stage," Wasfi says. "We have a certain obligation when things are abnormal, our obligation is to turn life normal and worth living for."