Fascinating Nubian Songs & Music, Contemporary Nubian singers,The great Old Masters of the Nubian song, Nubian Music, Nubian Musicians, Nubian Composers, Nubian Damce - Arageed, Nubian Arageed Dance Troupes, Nubian Weddings,
Singing is the life stream of the Nubians. Since antiquity Nubians have expressed their love for music, singing and dancing, as witness the many artistic representations of musicians, dancers and singers in processions and festivities painted and engraved into the walls of temples, columns and tombs. Some of the ancient music instruments are still used by Nubians to this day. Accompanied by the rhythms of the Def, the Nubian drum, Nubian artists express their deep feelings, joy or sadness and frustrations in elaborate songs bearing a message of wisdom, of encouragement and of peace.
Inspired by the picturesque nature of their lands at the borders of the Nile, enhanced by the Nubians' tight-knitted, interacting and sociable communities and the serene stress-free life, all Nubians like to sing and to share their songs. While traditional heritage songs have been passed on since at least three hundred years and are sung by successive generations - each one adding its own artistic feeling and environment, the countless contemporary Nubian artists contribute a rich variety of new songs, mostly based on traditional Nubian music and rhythms. The Nubian child is born into his or her people's art-loving environment; the whole village community celebrates the birth by singing, and they sing while bringing the baby to the sacred Nile river to wash his face with Nile water - a ceremony mixing religion and ancient beliefs to wish and ensure the child a happy and prosperous life. Nubians sing at home, so it is obvious that Nubian children grow up sharing songs with their siblings and friends. At school, Nubian children like to sing together during their break between lessons; it is at this early stage that many future singers, poets and musicians develop their talents. While women sing while doing their homework or producing beautiful handicrafts, the men sing while working in the fields. After work they gather either in the home or sitting under the trees and - again - sing all together. There is at least one music instrument in every Nubian home, be it the traditional Nubian drum, the Def, of a lute - the Oud, or the Kithara - the Nubian tambour. The leading singer starts the song, which is taken over by the whole community which repeats the words or sings the refrain. Def players - usually three of them - beat the rhythm, enhanced by hand clapping by the community. Some of the participants dance traditional "Arageed" folklore dances, with varied rhythmic steps and weaving arm movements or coordinated to form an immensely rousing troupe. No wonder that Nubians enjoy singing and dancing for hours. During weddings or other festivities the celebrations gather the whole village community and last for hours. In contrast to the neighboring Arab populations, Nubians also sing songs with religious content - also based on appealing rhythms and melodies.
Nubians take their love for music with them wherever they go; during the long train or bus rides through arid landscapes the common songs provide a pleasant entertainment. As most voyages are done by ship, the captain of the vessel - whether it is a Nile felucca, a motor boat or a passenger ship - used since old times to entertain his passengers playing music and singing well-known songs.
Nubian art has withstood and survived many obstacles; in an effort to unite their people, in Sudan former governments led massive Arabization campaigns, during which music and songs from Nubia and other ethnic minorities were banned from public broadcasts. As many young Nubians left to the major towns for study or work, they were partly cut off their artistic heritage. Nevertheless, when ships came to Khartoum and the South with passengers from Nubia, singing their beautiful songs, Sudanese people from other regions came to the border of the Nile to hear them. In Southern Egypt two thirds of the Nubian lands were flooded after the construction of the Aswan High Dam, which drowned many Nubian villages under the rising Lake Nasser. Some of the inhabitants were relocated in villages far from the Nile river into arid landscapes and crammed villages, and they had to struggle to survive. Their songs acquired a new purpose. While old Nubian songs mostly glorify love, mutual affection, life wisdom and ethics or speak about work or longing for their loved ones who travel far away, Nubian songs became a stage to lament the loss of their villages and beautiful nature, the lands which carried all their memories and the roots of their livelihood, and to vent their anger and disappointment. Patriotic songs now mixed with traditional ones - and they are part of the songs played at wedding parties or other festivities.
It is Nubian art - and foremost music and songs - that allowed Nubian culture, language and traditions to survive. Even Nubian communities scattered all-over the big towns in the extended region, in surrounding countries and far away countries cherish their link to each other and to their mother lands. Foremost in Nubian regions themselves - but also wherever there are Nubian clubs and communities, artists gather in artistic sessions during which they share their songs and discuss the improvement and spread of their art. Some young Nubians are influenced by modern instruments and foreign music types, and some fuse them into rhythmic displays that keep few features of traditional Nubian art. Singing mostly in Arabic, they have large followings among the Egyptian and Sudanese youth.
From time to time concerts are organized by the various Nubian artists, many of whom recruit young men and women who form troupes and train to perform amazing dances, adding many elaborate and coordinated movements to the traditional ones. Nubian dance groups - even children groups - wearing traditional costumes are also displaying their art during various events, festivals or television shows, raise awareness for the culture of this people who has long been the victim of neglect even inside Egypt and Sudan - due to the lack of knowledge and racist connotations. Even in industrialized countries that have been focusing on Egyptian and Middle Eastern history for centuries, the Nubian heritage has long been denied. Only recently, thanks to amazing discoveries by archaeologists in Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan, Nubian history and heritage have been recognized and are gradually making their way into history books
Broader availability of the Internet is an essential means to tie links between Nubians dispersed over extended areas. Much efforts have been made to encourage young Nubians to embrace the art of their ancestors and to learn the Nubian language - as many families have abandoned it after leaving the Nubian regions. Many Nubian initiatives to teach the language, traditions and visual arts and to display Nubian heritage in museums and touristic villages as well as applications and websites all contribute to finally restore the noble Nubian art to its deserved praise and admiration. Take a journey on our website to share and enjoy with us the excitement, joy and deep feelings Nubian art can provide!
Born in 1929, Hamza Ala Eldin is considered the father of the Nubian song. He studied engineering, but his passion was music. After studying guitar in Italy he went to the United States, where he taught music, and later to Japan, composing and singing songs in Nubian language and introducing the World to Nubian art's beauty and intensity. When he visited his homeland he taught Nubian artists of his time and introduced musical renewal into traditional Nubian songs.
Khidhir El Attar was born in the village of Ibrim in Old Nubia, surrounded by palm trees and green vegetation at the borders of the Nile. Because of his impressive voice he was assigned to represent his school. However, the forced displacement far from Nubian lands left a deep wound in his soul, and determined the message of most of his songs. Khidhir El Attar not only represented Nubian Art, he also spread it to France and the Arab Gulf and participated in the 3rd Millennium Concert with Jean-Michel Jarre in 2000.
Mohammed Wardi (1932-2012) from Wadi Halfa in Nubian Sudan is one of the best-known Nubian songwriter and singing artists. Since his young age he was interested in poetry, literature, music and singing. He composed and sang many songs in Nubian and Arabic, focusing on romance, Nubian heritage and patriotism, and played a variety of instruments. After being jailed because of his political songs, he left to Cairo and Los Angeles in 1989 and returned to Sudan in 2002, where he was awarded a honorary doctorate.
Ali Koban is a famous Nubian artist born in Qorah in Old Nubia. The young Ali learnt the love for singing from his father, and sang at wedding parties. In 1949 he sang in the Khedive Opera House and gained admiration from King Farouk. In 1957 he formed the first musical band in Cairo and introduced new instruments to Nubian music. He also encouraged other Nubian singers. Since 1988 Ali Koban participated in many concerts in Germany, the U.S. with James Brown, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands, and received many awards.
Mohammed Mounib (1926 - 1991), the spiritual father of the contemporary internationally known singer Mohammed Mounir, was the first Nubian artist to introduce Arabic language and sounds into Nubian music. Although he diffused his songs on the radio, it is only in the eighties that his 51 songs - and the 45 he composed for Mohammed Munir - found some recognition within the Egyptian public. He also composed songs for other Egyptian singers, including Amr Diab, Ihab Tawfiq, Ahmed Fouad and Hisham Abbas.
Seyid Gayer from Abu Simbel is one of the great artists who contributed to the promotion and improvement of Nubian artistic heritage. Deeply marked by the displacement of Nubians from Old Nubia, the land along the Nile flooded and drowned after the construction of Aswan High Dam, he introduced songs lamenting this loss among Nubian music with his song "Hanina". He set up a music troupe, and influenced many contemporary artists. His songs and compositions are kept alive by his son, the Artist Ahmed Gayer.
Late Slaeh Abbas, named the Dean of Nubian Art, is one of the Great Masters of the Nubian song who greatly contributed to reviving the traditional Nubian song. As an ardent lover of the Nubian song since his childhood, he learnt from the great artists of his time and started his own career in the sixties. His songs are loved and sung by many contemportary artists and his memory is kept alive reminding his love for Nubian unity and his message to teach the young generation Nubian language, heritage and art.
Abdallah Bata was a creative artist and since the 1950s sang his own songs with a sensual warm voice and performed at major events. He is also the parent of the great Bata family, with Adil Bata being a renowned Artist, Hisham Bata one of the greatest singers and composers, Majdi Bata an eminent composer and the young Hamo Bata following in their path.
Saber Asker is one of the great Nubian Artists of the last century. His songs are based on the traditional Nubian rhythms and melodies, into which he broucht renewal. He sang songs on poems and melodies of the Nubian poets Ahmed Dawood and Nour Eldin Toshky, as well as Nubian Heritage songs.
Hassan Jazouli was born in 1936 in Old Nubia, in the village of Qora in Eniba. He started his artistic career in 1952 with the great Poet and Composer Abdo Mirghani. He sang many emotional songs about love, Nubian traditions and the wish of return. Hassan Jazouli also sang in the Arab Gulf countries, in Paris and London.
Late Nubian Artist Jamal Sherif was a very creative and prolific singer and performer, who brought renewal to the Nubian song adding non-traditional music instruments and a chorale and "Arageed" troupe of young Nubian singers. His varied songs focusing on love, wedding and Nubian unity are still very much alive to this day and sung by many Nubian artists.
The Nubian Artist Seid Jamal was born in the village Adindan in Old Nubia, in 1930. Since his early childhood he loved singing the traditional Nubian songs about the beauty of the nature surrounding him. Greatly influenced by the Nubian artists of the time, Seid Jamal formed the Nouba Adwaa Music group. His tender voice and emotional songs led him to success.
Ramadan Ahmed was born in the Nubian region in Aswan. As one of the pioneers of the contemporary Nubian song, most of his songs and melodies - which he composed himself - were sad lamentations of the loss of the beautiful Old Nubia and the pain young Nubians felt leaving their families and their homes behind to search for work in the large towns in Egypt and abroad.
Salim Shaarawi from Abu Simbel is the son of Shaarawy Selim, one of the pioneers of the modern Nubian song. Selim was a percussionist in the Ali Coban music group. After some of his songs appeared on cassette and CD between the 1970s and 1980s, he was a renowned Artist and made major contributions to modern Nubian song.
Saleh Welwele from Halfa (Sudan) remains a reference of the Nubian song and an example for young artists. Saleh Welwele was an incredibly prolific poet, composer and singer who was able to create a new song every day. His legacy is carried on by his daughter, the magnificent Artist Zakaria Welwele, who continues singing his songs.
