Music Performance by Alsarah & Huda Asfour
In January 2024, Alsarah and Huda debuted their first collaboration in light of the genocides in Sudan and in Palestine as a call for global solidarity against fascist powers and man-made human suffering. “Ne‘ma,” a song from the Sudanese revolutionary music archives of the 80s and 90s, was originally performed by the iconic Sudanese band ‘Eqd Aljalad. It was written in Sudanese dialect by Mohamed Alhassan Salem Hamid, popularly known as “the people’s poet,” and composed by Osman Alnaw. Fast forward to today, the project is evolving to include the radical musical canon of the legendary composer Mustafa Sid Ahmed. His music was the voice of a generation of activists and intellectuals who dreamed of a better Sudan and a revolutionary future. In this collaboration, the artists seek to highlight a repertoire that serves as a testimony from the past that is still relevant today, and focuses on the interconnectedness of our struggles for collective liberation and the shared history of Sundanese and Palestinian liberatory quests. It is also a celebration of a shared history of humanity and the lesser-known shared political history of Sudan and Palestine.
Alsarah is a singer, songwriter, and bandleader of Alsarah & The Nubatones. She studied at Wesleyan University, writing her ethnomusicology thesis on Sudanese Zar music. In 2009, she moved to New York and formed her band, the Nubatones. The band’s music updates Sudanese traditions with various influences, but never losing the distinctive flavors of Alsarah’s homeland. In between albums, she works with the Sudanese artist collective Refugee Club Productions on a variety of projects, including the critically acclaimed documentary Beats of the Antonov.
Huda Asfour is a musician and educator. Her musical journey began early in conservatories in Tunisia and Palestine, culminating in collaborations worldwide. With two studio albums, “Mars… Back and Forth” (2011) and “Kouni” (2018), to her credit, Huda has also composed music for film and multimedia projects, and has collaborated and featured with musicians internationally. Currently, she’s delving into the art of improvisation, with a keen focus on the intricate nuances of Arabic musical aesthetics and its interplay with language. She is a co-founder of several initiatives such as the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival, and the Cairo and Brooklyn improv orchestras.