Amir Omar ‘Banaga’ was born in the west of Sudan and began his performance career singing on a children’s television program on Sudanese television. He also continued his musical studies at the Institute of Music and Drama with the goal of finding a way to represent the rich diversity of traditional rhythms and melodies he grew up with.
In 1986 he joined with other students to form a group Igd el Djilad a landmark ensemble dedicated both to preserving traditions of the past and also addressing social issues of poverty and oppression. The group became extremely popular but in the increasingly repressive milieu of the late 1980s and early 1900s its members faced harassment detention and interrogation.
Ultimately in 1997 Omar Benaga moved to the United States. It was a wrenching decision that he made along with other key Igd el Djilad members.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
