Unknown To No One · Pop/rock from Baghdad

The band on a television studio set during an interview, c. 2010

Press & EPK

Pressالصحافة

Twenty years of articles and interviews, from Baghdad in 2003 to today, and everything you need to write about us: bios, logos and photos.

Quoted

Exact lines from the articles; translations are marked.

Annahar Al-Arabi

Translated

Music is the language of love, stronger than all divisions.

Original الموسيقى لغة الحب، أقوى من كل الانقسامات

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed

Translated

We sing in English with a young, contemporary Iraqi spirit.

Original نغني بالإنكليزية بروح عراقية شابة ومعاصرة

Opinedigest

Translated

We wrote and composed our own songs.

Hassan Ali Al-Falluji

Original كنا نحن نكتب ونلحن أغانينا

Coverage 2003 — 2026

39 entries · Newest first

Headlines appear as published, including early labels the band does not use.

2020s

8 entries

  1. Dijla Tarab (Instagram)

    Band history reel

    View on Instagram: Dijla Tarab (Instagram) (opens in a new tab)

  2. algomhor.com · heloualfan.com · nawa3em.com

    UTN1 celebrates 25 years of music (Min Zaman)

    Seen in Facebook reposts

  3. Jummar (Instagram)

    Feature on the band’s story of exile

    View on Instagram: Jummar (Instagram) (opens in a new tab)

  4. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed

    أخلد رؤوف: نغني بالإنكليزية بروح عراقية شابة ومعاصرة

    Language of the piece: Arabic Read the article: Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (opens in a new tab)

  5. Annahar Al-Arabi

    "جميلة"... الأغنية التي غيّرت مصير فرقة عراقية

    Language of the piece: Arabic Read the article: Annahar Al-Arabi (opens in a new tab)

  6. Babylon FM, Erbil

    Breakfast Club – UTN1 band

    Archived copy only

    Language of the piece: English

  7. Opinedigest

    " UTN1" العراقية

    Article link to confirm

    Language of the piece: Arabic

  8. 200 World Albums

    IRAQ: Tatazakarein – UTN1

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: 200 World Albums (opens in a new tab)

2010s

11 entries

  1. Sputnik Arabic

    …أوسم مطربين العراق يغنون في بغداد بعد فراق طويل

    Language of the piece: Arabic Read the article: Sputnik Arabic (opens in a new tab)

  2. Monte Carlo Doualiya, Café Show

    أغنيةٌ من التراث يجدّدها فريق UTN1 العراقي

    Article link to confirm

    Language of the piece: Arabic

  3. Alwatan Voice

    فريق UTN1 يجدد سبعينات عراقية

    Language of the piece: Arabic Read the article: Alwatan Voice (opens in a new tab)

  4. Monte Carlo Doualiya, Café Show

    U T N 1 فرقة غنائية تؤدي التراث بثوب جديد

    Article link to confirm

    Language of the piece: Arabic

  5. Al-Haqiqa

    فريق UTN1 العراقي يطلق أغنية جديدة

    Language of the piece: Arabic Read the article: Al-Haqiqa (opens in a new tab)

  6. Al Bilad (Bahrain)

    فريق UTN1 … يعود للساحة الغنائية من جديد

    Language of the piece: Arabic Read the article: Al Bilad (Bahrain) (opens in a new tab)

  7. PRX / The World

    Iraqi boy band

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: PRX / The World (opens in a new tab)

  8. The National

    Defying Saddam to find fame…

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: The National (opens in a new tab)

  9. HuffPost

    Iraq and Roll Comes to a Town Near You

    Contributor blog

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: HuffPost (opens in a new tab)

  10. Al-Ittihad (Abu Dhabi)

    فريق «يو تي أن وان» يغني باللهجة اللبنانية

    Language of the piece: Arabic Read the article: Al-Ittihad (Abu Dhabi) (opens in a new tab)

  11. Viva Music (magazine)

    'Unknown To No One' — Iraqi boy band UTN1 is taking on the world…

    Scan in the band archive

    Language of the piece: English

2000s

20 entries

  1. Al-Manara and an Arab lifestyle magazine

    Al Aan signs an exclusive sponsorship of UTN1

    Scan in the band archive

  2. Diário de Notícias (Portugal)

    A única 'boy band' que nasceu sob o regime de Saddam Hussein

    Article link to confirm

    Language of the piece: Portuguese

  3. BBC Radio, Crossing Continents

    Meet Iraqi boy band UTN1

    Language of the piece: English Watch on YouTube: BBC Radio, Crossing Continents (opens in a new tab)

  4. The Guardian

    The day Fox News called

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

  5. TIME, Quotes of the Day

    Akhlad Raof quoted on his wish to play a concert in central Baghdad

    Scan in the band archive

  6. Al-Quds Al-Arabi

    فريق يو تي ان ون : سعيدون رغم شقاء الرحلة من العراق

    Article link to confirm

    Language of the piece: Arabic

  7. Al-Quds Al-Arabi

    جميلة باكورة فريق UTN1 العراقي

    Article link to confirm

    Language of the piece: Arabic

  8. The Daily Star, Beirut

    Iraqi pop band 'Unknown to No One' is no more unknown

    Reprint

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: The Daily Star, Beirut (opens in a new tab)

  9. The Daily Star

    UTN1 united: Iraqi boy band goes for broke in Beirut

    Scan in the band archive

    Language of the piece: English

  10. Azad-Hye

    Iraqi pop band

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: Azad-Hye (opens in a new tab)

  11. The Wall Street Journal

    Prepping for the Iraq Street Boys

    Paywalled Scan in the band archive

    Language of the piece: English

  12. Azad-Hye

    Unknown To No One

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: Azad-Hye (opens in a new tab)

  13. The Observer

    Baghdad boys

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: The Observer (opens in a new tab)

  14. Scholastic News

    Iraq's boy band dreams big

    Reprint on the author’s site

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: Scholastic News (opens in a new tab)

  15. AP Archive (footage)

    Iraq's leading boy band to be groomed for world stage

    Language of the piece: English Watch on YouTube: AP Archive (footage) (opens in a new tab)

  16. Variety

    Inside Move: Iraq group hopes to rock 'n' roll

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: Variety (opens in a new tab)

  17. Reuters, via Arab News

    Saddam's Fall Spells Stardom for Boy Band

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: Reuters, via Arab News (opens in a new tab)

  18. CNN International

    Baghdad boy band bid for big break

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: CNN International (opens in a new tab)

  19. The Sunday Telegraph

    Iraqi boy band launch invasion of British charts

    Reprint

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: The Sunday Telegraph (opens in a new tab)

  20. Gulf News / Newsday

    Baghdadi Backstreet Boys raving to burst onto stage

    Language of the piece: English Read the article: Gulf News / Newsday (opens in a new tab)

TV, radio & podcasts

A selection, newest first

  1. TV

    Studio Al-Shabab, with Dunya Al-Jubouri

    Al-Shabab Pluswith Akhlad Raof

    YouTube: Studio Al-Shabab, with Dunya Al-Jubouri (opens in a new tab)

  2. Podcast

    Episode 25

    Salim Zahra Podcastwith Hassan Ali Al-Falluji

    YouTube: Episode 25 (opens in a new tab)

  3. TV

    Sabah El Kheir Ya Arab

    MBC1, Dubai

    Clip shared on Facebook and Instagram

  4. Podcast

    Säg jag svär

    Swedish podcast

    YouTube: Säg jag svär (opens in a new tab)

  5. Interview

    Nawares Muhajira (Migrating Gulls)

    Raad Barakat

    YouTube: Nawares Muhajira (Migrating Gulls) (opens in a new tab)

  6. Podcast

    Episode 3

    Kinda Like Podcastwith Hassan Ali Al-Falluji

    YouTube: Episode 3 (opens in a new tab)

  7. Radio

    On the heritage song Hayati

    Monte Carlo Doualiya

    YouTube: On the heritage song Hayati (opens in a new tab)

  8. Radio

    Tarab, with Ghada al-Khalil (4 parts)

    Monte Carlo Doualiya

    YouTube: Tarab, with Ghada al-Khalil (4 parts) (opens in a new tab)

  9. TV

    Episode 18

    Albasheer Showwith Akhlad Raof and Hassan Ali Al-Falluji

    No video link yet

  10. TV

    Konna Honak

    Alsumaria

    YouTube: Konna Honak (opens in a new tab)

Press kit

Bio, logo files, photos and a one-sheet

Short bio

English · 79 words

UTN1 (Unknown To No One) is an Iraqi pop-rock band, formed in Baghdad in 1999 by Shant Garabedian and Art Haroutiounian with friends from different Iraqi communities. Today the band is Akhlad Raof, Hassan Ali Al-Falluji, Shant and Art. They sang in English at first, then in Arabic too from Jamila (2007), and they rework Iraqi heritage songs. Since 2011 the members have lived in Washington DC and Sweden. Their latest single, Galbi Ghanna, came out in June 2026.

Arabic · 69 words

UTN1 (Unknown To No One) فريق بوب-روك عراقي، أسّسه شانت غربديان وآرت هاروتونيان في بغداد عام 1999 مع أصدقاء من مكوّنات عراقية مختلفة. يضم الفريق اليوم أخلد رؤوف وحسن علي الفلوجي وشانت وآرت. غنّى في بداياته بالإنكليزية، ثم بالعربية أيضاً منذ أغنية «جميلة» عام 2007، كما يعيد تقديم أغانٍ من التراث العراقي. ويقيم أعضاؤه منذ عام 2011 في واشنطن والسويد، وقد صدرت أحدث أغانيه «قلبي غنّى» في حزيران 2026.

Kurdish (Sorani) · 72 words

UTN1 (Unknown To No One) گرووپێکی پۆپ-ڕۆکی عێراقییە، لە ساڵی 1999 لە بەغدا لەلایەن شانت گەرابێدیان و ئارت هارووتیونیان لەگەڵ هاوڕێیانی لە پێکهاتە جیاوازەکانی عێراق دامەزرا. ئەمڕۆ گرووپەکە ئەخلەد ڕەئووف، حەسەن عەلی فەللووجی، شانت و ئارتە. سەرەتا بە ئینگلیزی گۆرانییان دەگوت، پاشان لە «جميلة»ـەوە (2007) بە عەرەبیش، و گۆرانیی کەلەپووریی عێراقی بە شێوەیەکی نوێ دەڵێنەوە. لە ساڵی 2011ەوە ئەندامەکان لە واشنتن و سوید دەژین. نوێترین سینگڵیان، «قلبي غنّى»، لە حوزەیرانی 2026 بڵاوکرایەوە.

Press photos

High-resolution band photos with photographer credits.

In preparation

One-sheet (PDF)

One page: bio, line-up, latest releases and contacts.

In preparation

Booking

Writing about UTN1?

Interviews, photos and quotes: write to press@utn1.com. For concerts and events, write to info@utn1.com.

Book UTN1 Press enquiries

info@utn1.compress@utn1.com