When I first saw the title of Original Music’s 1995 release, Rain in the Hills, I assumed it would be a compilation of Rwandan or Congolese music, places I most associate with forest-filled, hilly landscapes. It came as a nice surprise when my earphones were filled with a very different sound: music by the Beja people who live in the hills of North-Eastern Sudan, in and around the city of Port Sudan.

The album was recorded by John Low who lived in this drought-prone area while he was working for Oxfam in the early 90s. As he says in the liner notes, you can sometimes hear street noise or people chatting at Oxfam parties in the background on the recordings. If anything, however, this gives the album an authentic feel as if you, too, were sitting in a steamy Sudanese apartment, chatting with Beja musicians.

The songs on Rain in the Hills are sung in the Beja language and in Arabic. Some sound distinctly Arabic/Yemeni while others have a more East African sound. It’s definitely new to my ears. The liner notes even claim that, as far as John Low is aware, the music on this disc is unknown outside of the Sudan and southern Egypt.

Until recently the Beja used only one instrument in their music, the basankob. In recent years the oud has been introduced, as you’ll hear today, since it has a greater musical range.

Great tracks like Days and Nights make me realize how much I have yet to discover in East Africa…

ps- Cheers to Gabriel who picked me out of the crowd at the Rajery show last night. Always nice meeting Benn loxo people in person.
pps- thanks again to Andrew for the music.

Musa Adem - Days and Nights
Mohamed Badri Hassan - Rain In The Hills

Many of you probably have Emmanuel Jal and Abdel Gadir Salim’s album Ceasefire already but I haven’t yet posted it on Benn loxo.

Nominated for the 2006 BBC World Music Awards, Emmanuel Jal has risen from obscurity to become one of Africa’s most well-known rappers.

He’s a good musician in his own right, but Jal’s life story makes journalists drool. He was a child-soldier in Sudan from a young age until was smuggled into Kenya by a British aid worker. In Nairobi, Jal flourished as a musician despite the aid worker dying in a car crash. He eventually started giving concerts for homeless kids as well as participating in the local hiphop scene as an MC.

For 2005’s Ceasefire Jal collaborated with Sudanese oud-playing legend, Abdel Gadir Salim. Jal raps and sings in English, Arabic, Swahili and Dinka while Salim strums it out, occasionally busting in with his own vocals. The combination of old-shcool and new-school East African sounds works really well. It’s no surprise that this album has become a success, with or without the “media-friendly-so-now” Jal bio.

You can pick up Ceasefire over at the World Music Network or at any good record shop. You might have heard Jal on the latest War Child/Help compilation, too.

ps- there won’t be any new posts until the beginning of October. Time for some time in the sun, you know.

Emmanuel Jal & Abdel Gadir Salim - Elengwen

A few posts ago I asked if any Benn loxo listeners had Ali Hassan Kuban’s Sukkar, Sukkar, Sukkar. Thanks to those of you responded and arranged for a trade. I appreciate the feedback, especially when it comes in the form of music.

Ali Hassan Kuban transforms Nubian traditional music into fun, African pop. His raspy voice, turned that way from a lung infection when he was still young, sounds great over horn sections and percussion that beats out Nubian rhythms in a fusion style.

The songs featured today are two of his earliest and most successful hits. They moved Kusan into the international world music scene and put “Nubia soul” on the map. I read a quote somewhere calling him the James Brown of East Africa. I thought this title had already been given to Ethiopia’s Alemayno Eshirtay, but I guess there’s room for more than one. Nubia’s a big place anyway, sprawling over large parts of modern-day Egypt and Sudan.

You can get both of today’s tracks on Shanachie’s 1980 release, From Nubia to Cairo. Rough Guide has also released a good compilation of Kuban’s work.

Ali Hassan Kuban - Mabruk
Ali Hassan Kuban - Sukkar, Sukkar, Sukkar

Saturday morning, just got up. The skies are cloudy and it’s quiet outside. Tomorrow this city will be awash in car honks, fireworks and cheering as France face Italy in the World Cup Final. I’m feeling a little better today and there’s time for a little relaxing and a deep breath before the pint-infused, football madness of tomorrow.

When you want to relax, don’t you immediately think of Sudan? Ha.. Ok, maybe not. But today’s selection is appropriate for the mood and a nice way to ease into my day. After listening to the Taarab plus American Blues from Zanzibar yesterday I was in the mood for some more African meets Arabic.

We’ve heard a fair bit of Sudanese music on Benn loxo with posts on the lovely Rasha, Setona and of course Abdel Gadir Salim. Today we’ll hear another talented musician, Abdel Karim el Kabli.

Born in 1933, Abdel Karim el Kabli is one of the grandfathers of modern Sudanese music. His 1995 release, Limaza, brought his singing and oud (a type of lute) playing some international recognition. He also appears on the great Rough Guide to the Music of Sudan compilation. As far as I know he continues to live in Khartoum and still performs despite his advanced age.

el Kabli has been as much an academic influence in Sudan as an important musician. His lectures at local universities, published poems and music have helped to preserve and solidify Sudanese folklore and tradition. That said, he doesn’t shy away from the contemporary. His music contains hints of the modern, with elements borrowed from both the West and contemporary Arab-world pop.

Speaking of which, does anyone have a copy of his 1962 release, Sukkar Sukkar? It’s apparently his take on the Twist.

Have a good weekend.

Abdel Karim El Kabli - Kabbas

I’ve written before about Abdel Gadir Salim, specifically about how he’s a Sudanesian who sings about the good thing in life, contradicting the generally sad stereotype of Sudan. His wonderful oud playing could make the meanest rebel smile. Indeed, he’s a political figure despite his apolitical lyrics who helps to bridge the Christian/Muslim divide in his country by promoting peace.

Abdel Gadir is the man in northern Sudanese music. (I’m smiling as I write this because that won’t mean too much to all but the most hard-core African music fans.) The album you’ll hear a sampling from today has been described to me by two regular Benn loxo readers as one of their all-time African musical favourites. While it’s not quite in my top 10, the 1999 release, Le blues de Khartoum, is certainly a classic and often pops-up on my playlists.

Which reminds me - I’ve been meaning for months to pick-up a copy of Emmanuel Jal & Abdel Gadir Salim’s 2005 release, Ceasefire…

Shout-out to that lady among the gorillas in the depths of Rwanda and also to several of you who have sent me some great music lately. Don’t worry - I’ll get to it soon! When special events season is done in Europe work will be a lot calmer and life will become once again be filled with long listening sessions and new disc dicoveries.

Hey, any of you live in Germany? I should be in Berlin, Stuttgart and Munich in the very near future. Culture and nightlife tips appreciated.

Abdel Gadir Salim - Qidrechinna

I was in Italy for a week and half, baking in the Tuscan sun and exploring the Mediterranean coast. What a beautiful part of the world.

Anyway, sorry for not posting for a while but everyone needs the occasional vacation. Let’s launch right back into things with some heavy Sudanese rhythm from Setona.

Setona is a musician known as the “Queen of Henna”. She’s from Kordofan in western Sudan and is not only a musician but also a henna artist. Her hands and feet are always covered in wild streaks of tattoo patterns. Apparently Prince (as in The Artist Formerly Known As) once asked her to henna him up. I’m not sure if she accepted.

Setona’s music, sort of like her henna designs, is wild Sudanese-Moorish fusion, dominated by Eastern percussion styles and her piercing voice. Today’s track comes off her 1997 album, Tariq Sudan.

ps- I’m off to Belgium this weekend for the Couleur Café festival. Expect lots of photos and music from there next week.

Setona - Tarazina

I was working at Roland Garros today. While watching Federer rally and setting up some networks I couldn’t get this song out of my head. I couldn’t remember the name of the song for the life of me until I suddenly realized, “SUDAN.” Yes, the beautiful voice of Rasha.

I have no idea what it is about clay courts, tennis rackets and wireless networks that causes to me sing contemporary Sudanese folk music. You can take a man out of Africa but you can’t take Africa out of a man? Ha. Whatever. Great tune.

The one I was thinking of comes off Rasha’s 1997 first release, Sundaniyat. I don’t know much about Rasha to be honest (or Sudanese music in general for that matter) but I really like her sound. The acoustic East African-Nubian sound appeals to my taste in music from that region, and her voice is quite amazing.

Rasha - Azara Alhay

I watched a movie set in Sudan last night. And in case you haven’t noticed there have been a few problems there lately - phrases like “world’s worst humanitarian crisis”, “one of the world’s worst places to live or work”, or “Africa’s famine and civil war capital” might come to mind. Over the past 20 years, anywhere between 2 and 8 million people have died as a direct result of civil war, famine and ethnic violence in Sudan.

Despite continued civil strife, religious tension between Christians, Muslims and pagans, ethnic fighting between Arabs and blacks, and several Islamist authoritarian regimes, Sudan does have a few things going for it. It’s not as absolutely hopeless as people outside of Africa tend to say it is. Its economy is actually quite strong compared to most West African nations. Its population is relatively educated, too, and the culture is well-developed. Its AIDS-rate is quite low by African standards. Sudan is also (blessed?) with oil and other major natural resources. While its economy remains based mainly in traditional agriculture, it’s actually growing these days - unlike so many other African nations.

I only say all this because back in Canada and the US the only images that we seem to get out of Sudan are Islamic extermists or Sally Struthers holding a half-dead baby with flies in its eyes. Yes, Sudan has some major troubles including genocide in the Darfur region and an on-going civil war, but it’s still Africa’s largest country and, like almost everywhere else on this continent, a vibrant, interesting place.

With this in mind I’m going to post some Abdel Gadir Salim today. Probably Sudan’s most famous musician outside of the country, Salim sings about the good stuff in life like love. He also incorporates both African and Arabic sounds into his music - just the kind of unity his country so desperately needs.

Abdel Gadir Salim All-Stars - Alhagi
Abdel Gadir Salim All-Stars - Mal Wa Ihtagab