Allami has studied oud and composition with a variety of musicians and composers from the Arab world, including Ehsan Emam, Naseer Shamma, Abdo Dagher, Hazem Shaheen and Mehmet Bitmez.
He performed on 9 August 2010 as part of Prom 33: BBC Radio 3 World Routes Academy alongside one of his mentors, Iraqi guitarist and singer Ilham Al Madfai.
He abandoned his former instruments, stopped speaking Arabic and immersed himself in Western rock (in particular, bands such as Soundgarden, Melvins, Killing Joke, Tool, Aqua, Blink 182 and The Waterboys.
[2] In 1996 Allami joined the London based hardcore punk band Ursa as drummer (alongside singer/guitarist Jodie Cox, bass player Paul Arnold and guitarist Wayne Pennell).
Following the amicable split of Ursa in 2000, Allami became the bass guitarist and occasional vocalist for the gothic punk/sludge metal band Art of Burning Water (with guitarist/vocalist Geith Al-Robei and drummer Michael Frances McKenna).
Pained and shaken by events ("Iraq burned and I couldn't do a single thing about it") he opted to demonstrate solidarity by making a serious attempt to take up oud playing[2] and began studies with the London-based Iraqi 'ud maestro Ehsan Emam.
Performances during this period included a concert in June 2008 with the Sabina Rakcheyeva Trio in Baku, Azerbaijan (broadcast on the national Azeri television station AZTV) and a solo oud session for BBC Radio 3’s World Routes programme in August 2008.
[1][2] During the same year, he gained mentorship from BBC Radio 3's World Routes Academy program, travelling to the Middle East for three weeks to work with various musicians including the renowned Iraqi singer/guitarist Ilham Al Madfai.
This culminated, in August 2010, with Allami performing in front of an audience of thousands at the 2010 Proms, as part of a double bill with Ilham al-Madfai which was also broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.