Music as Resistance: “Khartoum Will Always Be Khartoum”
by Kaveh Roshangar 30August 2022
Since the formation of the modern government of Sudan in 1956, the Beja minority suffered political and economical deprivations despite their possession of great national gold supplies that were mostly sold to foreign companies.
Omar al-Bashir, the deposed Sudanese dictator who gained power after the 1989 military coup, initiated an Arabization movement that aimed to eradicate the Beja culture and deny their rights to the point that the Beja native language and any form of music and movie creation got criminalized.
However, with the downfall of al-Bashir, great changes took place and the Sudanese minorities, including the Beja, were able to produce works of art in their native language.
The Red Sea is a region full of popular movements. Migration to the coasts of the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt and some African countries has led to a cosmopolitan culture among the people of these areas. Against this background, Noureddine Jaber (Nouri) has succeeded in finding a universal language for the music of the Beja tribe by relying on a fusion instrument.
We talked with him, the leader of a Sudanese band, about the music of the Beja and the development prospects of Sudan. The interview was conducted in English and then translated by us into Farsi. Nouri says: “The melodies of Beja music are nostalgic, sweet, hopeful, mysterious and honest.”
– Your first album was produced in Khartoum. How would you describe the situation going on at that time?
Khartoum will always be Khartoum, no matter what is happening. The hospitality will always be powerful and welcoming and everyone will always take care of you. Every week there are protests against the current military government and the lack of economic opportunities. But it is always a warm place to visit, Sudanese have perfected the art of being good hosts, and this will stay the same regardless of the political situation…
