REPORT: Music shops reopen after fall of IS in Mosul

With the removal of Islamic State (IS) militants from Mosul, musicians are back in business as life begins to resume normalcy.

Under Islamic State rule for more than two years, recreational music was banned, musical instruments were destroyed, performances were quashed and artists targeted.

The artists are now seeing a return of customers, with requests for their performances for public and private parties.

The average cost of a performance, artists say, is 250,000 Iraqi dinars ($200).

According to Mohammed Ibrahim, a musical instrument shop owner, business used to be good before Islamic State gained control of the city.

''Before the coming of Daesh (Islamic state) militants, our work was great. Our instruments, loudspeakers, and mixers were excellent,” said Ibrahim.

“But after the coming of Daesh, the militants threatened us and prevented us from using our musical instruments. So we hid our musical devices in the Old city of Mosul by building up a wall over the place where we concealed them,'' he said.   

Harith Hassan, singer and owner of a musical instrument shop, said people are happy to see them back.

“Families, elderly people, youth and children have warmly welcomed and received us. They welcome and greet us wherever they see us; in the streets, in public places, in their houses and at general parties and in celebrating victory over Daesh. People's reception has been wonderful,” he told Reuters.

Musician Gazi Salim recounted how he was pursued by the militants.

“We were afraid to even walk in the streets because we were afraid to be recognized as artists. I was once targeted - they opened fire on me and I got shot with a bullet here (points to his shoulder) in the open market, I turned towards the hospital and one of them identified me and said: 'he's a musician' - and they wanted to take me,” he said.

Mosul now has around 10 musical shops open and ready for business.

Islamic State's cross-border “caliphate” effectively collapsed in July, when U.S.-backed Iraqi forces captured Mosul, the group's de facto capital in Iraq, in a grueling battle which lasted nine months.