Abu Araki al-Bakheit is a musical giant who emerged during the latter years of Sudanese music’s golden era. With his fabulously smooth and supple voice, Abu Araki reached a pinnacle of success in the late 1970s, a time of blooming creativity in Sudanese performance arts. Two decades later, he ran afoul of Islamist authorities who banned his music, arrested him, and forbade him from singing at public events. When he responded by saying he would not sing at all, the public outcry was so great that he was forced to relent. Today, he stands both as a grand figure of Sudanese song, as well as a brave and principled example of artistic resistance during one of the most oppressive periods of Sudan?s modern history.
Abu Araki was born in Wad Madany ?Sudan, the capital of Aljazeera State, a center of agriculture in the country. As a boy, he endured the hard life of a traditional, rural farming family. The family later moved to Omdurman, home of Sudan?s influential radio and television station, and there he received inspiration from Islamic religious practices. “I joined a Khalwa,” he recalls, “a religious house in which young kids like myself used to learn the Quran. My first day there was scary especially when the young people shouted while reading the Quran. The variety of voices helped me later on to understand the variety of a large orchestra, and to understand complicated theories such as harmony and counterpoint.”
After graduating from the Institute of Music and Drama in 1978, Abu Araki emerged as a popular young singer on Sudanese radio, and was soon performing at wedding parties as well as festivals in and out of Sudan.
After the rise of Sudan’s Islamist government in 1989, Abu Araki, like many Sudanese artists, had difficulty working, in part because of the strong social content of his song lyrics. He made some of his most important recordings in Egypt, working with Yousif el Mosley, maestro for Hassad Music, the most prolific record label for Sudanese music ever. Meanwhile in Sudan, Abu Araki recalls, “I wasn’t able to perform my songs in the theaters because of the powerful words they have, and also because of the enthusiasm my fans felt about these songs. I had many difficulties, but I was able to overcome them.”
Ever since, Abu Araki has engaged in a delicate dance, remaining true to his musical and social principles, satisfying his loyal audience, and risking the wrath of suspicious authorities. In recent years, he has increasingly performed for Sudanese diaspora communities around the world, including in the United States. He says he has not been able to record his newer songs “the way I want to,” and very much hopes that his work in the United States will allow him to do so in the near future.
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.
