Sudan is located in eastern Africa, bordering Libya, Egypt, the Red Sea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, The Central African Republic and Chad.
For centuries, Sudan has been a significant crossroads between African and Arabic music. The Nile River runs through the country; it is regarded as the lifeblood of the region. Sudanese music is the result of cultural exchange. Arabic orchestral music was combined with African tribal rhythms and later with European and American pop music.
The arrival of radio helped popularize Sudanese artists like Hassan Attayah and Osman Alshfi. Other essential artists included Karouma, Abdul Aziz Mohammed Dawoud, Ibrahim Awad, Khadir Bashir, Ossman Hussain and Mohammed Wardi. Additionally, two Spain-based Sudanese artists, Wafir and Rasha, helped popularize Sudanese music in the world music scene.
Although Sudan had a thriving music scene for most of the 20th century, the imposition of harsh sharia law in the late 1980s brought the bustling music scene to a halt. Many instruments were destroyed, musicians beaten and historical recordings erased. Some musicians fled Sudan and settled in Cairo and other places.
Sudanese Musicians
Abdel Gadir Salim
Al Balabil
Abu Araki
Ali Al Sigaid
Mohamed Badawi
Omar Banaga
Omer Ihsas
Rasha
Shurahibeel Ahmed
Wafir
