Ilham al-Madfai (إلهام المدفعي) (born c. 1942) is an Iraqi guitarist, singer and composer.al-Madfai's synthesis of Western guitar stylings with traditional Iraqi music has made him a popular performer in his native country and throughout the Middle East.Beginning in 1999, al-Madfai released a string of albums on EMI's label, including his platinum eponymous debut, Ilham al-Madfai (1999), Live at the Hard Rock Cafe (2001), Baghdad (2003) and The Voice of Iraq: The Best of Ilham al-Madfai (2005).In 2009, Al-Madfai released Dishdasha.His Western-inspired compositions led to a nickname; "The Baghdad Beatle".