Salar Salman, an exceptional musician and composer, was born in Kirkuk, Kurdistan. His songs about love, tenderness and soreness affected many people and delivered him the nickname 'Santana of Kurdistan'. Moving away from the more traditional, folkloric, often monotonous sound, his melodies moved freely, inspired by Afro-Western sounds from the '70s and '80s, jazz, psychedelic rock and flamenco. He created an alternative sound that is still influencing younger generations of Iraqi Kurdish musicians today.