The mawāl "Ya Layl" starts with Maqam Bayat and then transitions to the Maqam Rast. "Ya Layl" is a fundamental phrase in Iraqi Maqam, serving as a key phrase to establish the maqam. "Aomeed Barq" consists of verses by the Sufi poet "Ibn Al-Farid," while "Ya Rabee" is a well-known piece in Iraqi folk music. The lyrics are from an unknown poet.
Ahmed Al-Rawi, a singer and Maqam performer from Mosul, was born in 1932 and passed away in 2005 in the UAE. He comes from a family that loves and appreciates knowledge and art, with a brother who is a renowned calligrapher and religious figure, and another brother who is a well-known reciter and Sufi. He was nicknamed "the owner of the golden voice" for having performed a wide range of Iraqi music. In 1973, he traveled to Syria and participated in the Tv series "Malh wa Sukkar," where he sang the mawāl "Ya Hādith Al-Ees" and then performed the song "Fok Al-Nakhl," which is attributed to the Mosuli poet and musician Mulla Othman Mosuli.